Act 1: Conquest of Remnant
by Sicarius39
Summary: Darth Vader has been tasked by the Emperor to work with Salem, a being who resides on the planet of Remant and wishes to conquer it. Alongside these allies, he will have to face the Huntsman and Huntresses who fight for good. They are in the way of the Empire and will be treated as any other enemy in its way. WARNING: Dark themes, Rated M. Not suitable for younger audiences.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: **The Cover Image was edited and created by me, it features images that can be found on Google Images. The picture of Darth Vader was drawn by Jim Cheung for** _ **Darth Vader**_ **#1. The image of Ruby Rose in the back can be found in the "Red" Trailer for Rooster Teeth's** _ **RWBY**_ **web-show series. Finally, the background is a re-coloured moon that lies above the planet of Remnant, also featured in** _ **RWBY**_ **.**

 **I do not claim to own any of these images, nor the franchises to which they belong. I simply edited them together for the sake of the cover on my story.**

 **Thank you for choosing to read this story, but be warned, it is going to be quite dark. Vader is a ruthless agent of the Emperor and none will stand in his way.**

 **Prologue**

The black-clad figure stepped onto the bridge of large ship floating in the Outer Rim, various planets and stars sparkling in the distance. The officers were startled upon seeing him, despite having heard him coming. Their heartrates accelerated, and their hands shook as his breathing filled the air of the deck. Most of all fear was possessed by the Admiral watching the stars at the front; he tried to maintain his composure, but a light sheet of sweat beaded his forehead under his hat. The footsteps behind him grew louder and louder until they stopped, the breathing became even more ominous, but it was halted by the words he spoke, "Admiral Elatar." He said almost unimpressed as his breathing resumed. This was the Admiral's first time serving under him, he thought he would be calmer and more collected.

Elatar turned to face him and sure enough, he was standing there, much to the Admiral's dismay. He cleared his throat, "Lord Vader." He shuffled nervously. He had heard stories; about how he would kill someone for so much as inconveniencing him, so his sweat-covered forehead and nearly trembling hands were not without reason. "Where would you like us to go?" The Dark Lord stepped towards the window and stared into the void in front of him. Not a single speck of garbage, no ships. Nothing. Just empty space, allowing one to see the far away stars. To most, the sight would be beautiful, but to Vader, it was just a distance to be crossed.

"The Emperor gave me specific instructions to contact him once we reach this sector. When we are above Raxus Prime, I will do so." He turned to the Admiral, "I will relay your instructions to you when I do." Elatar nodded nervously. Despite being an officer at the ripe age of thirty, he was still quaking in his boots. Suddenly, Darth Vader's voice rang out this time directly talking to the man,

"Graduating at the top of your class from the Imperial Academy and passing your blaster training with flying colours. Impressive." He shuffled again, "Thank you, my Lord." The Admiral said with a slight bow. Vader walked up to him, "Do not fail me." He pointed to him, "I expect exceptional results from you, Admiral. I will not settle for anything less." Elatar stuttered, "Of course, Lord Vader! I aim to please."

With that, the Dark Lord walked away, in the same direction he came, "Keep the ship idle, if we are attacked, I will to be the first to know. Await your instructions, Admiral."

The Sith Lord turned left, turning into a long corridor and reaching a subspace transceiver in a room on the left side. He turned it on and awaited the call from his Master, Emperor Sheev Palpatine, unbeknownst to many, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Vader felt his Master's presence fill the room, along with a large image of his floating head, illuminating the room in a hue of blue. "My Master." The cyborg addressed replied in his old, pale voice, "Lord Vader, have you reached the Outer Rim?" It sounded more akin to an expectation rather than a question. His apprentice obliged,

"Yes, I have arrived and await new orders."

"Good… Your orders are to travel to a planet called Remnant. On this planet are beings who wish to conquer the world and will serve under the Galactic Empire. The leader of this group is called Salem. We have already spoken, and she will be expecting you. The coordinates have been sent to your Star Destroyer." The Emperor instructed. Vader was suspicious.

"Do you believe she can be trusted? If I may ask, how did she contact you?"

"You will do as I tell you, regardless of her trustworthiness. Do as she tells you, my apprentice. Be on your way. Only you, the Admiral and the rest of the crew will remain stationed at a nearby planet for your extraction after your mission is over. No one else can know of this mission." He warned. His apprentice bowed his head and replied.

"Yes, Master."

The transceiver ceased, and Vader got to his feet, trudging down the hallway and back to the deck. Admiral Elatar was visibly startled by his arrival. "We are going to a planet called Remnant, the coordinates are in the flight course." Elatar responded, albeit nervously, "Yes, my Lord." The man walked to one of the pilots and told him where their destination was.

Darth Vader stared into the open space as the stars shot back and the ship was pushed into hyperspace, travelling to the unknown planet Remnant.


	2. Act 1: Meditation

**Chapter 1 – Meditation**

While waiting for their arrival, Vader decided to go meditate in his chamber. He sat in a large spherical object that opened for him after he pushed a button on a panel nearby. Sitting down in it, the chamber closed and allowed for him to sit in darkness, except for a few small lights just barely illuminating the arms that were reaching towards his helmet. He placed a breathing tube into his mouth as the tank began to fill with Bacta fluid. Soon enough it was filled and his body was barren as his suit was stripped off and his wounds received from his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, were shown. His metallic arms and legs were removed so he was simply a torso and stumps floating in the fluid.

The suit and the metallic arms were a grim reminder of everything Vader had failed to do. If he had killed Obi-Wan then he would have had most of his limbs. He would not have been given this horribly burned and scarred body. He would not have to live in pain every day.

The Dark Lord shut his sickly yellow eyes and he began to fill his mind with dark thoughts. He thought of his former master first. Then his mind fluttered to the Jedi Order. Their weakness was sickening to him; relying on 'peaceful' negotiations to settle disputes. His soul filled with sadness when he thought about Padme Amidala, but then there was something else.

Hope? Fear? Anger? All of these and many more emotions mixed when he realized he had a son and continued to do so when his thoughts fixed on his son, Luke Skywalker. On Bespin, they fought and ultimately ended in the removal of his hand and the father pleading to his son to join him and take the Empire for themselves. To this end, Luke decided to instead go back to the rebellion.

Anger filled him again. The metal instruments outside of the tank began to float and were flung to the wall shattering and sending pieces across the floor. Calming down, he began to think about his mission.

He had to admit, his curiosity was piqued. The nature of his mission was to find a woman who will give him orders. Simple enough. Her end goal was to assume control over the planet and she will serve under the Galactic Empire. Vader suspected that this would not come without a price. He _was_ being sent there for a reason. Was it to kill her enemies? Eliminate any resistance? Time would tell. The Dark Lord closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take him as he waited for their arrival.

* * *

A voice spoke to him, "Lord Vader," he opened his eyes to see an officer, "We have arrived." The tank drained, and the suit was put back onto him by the metal arms of the tube. First were his arms, placed into the sockets and twisted to fit into place. He moved his fingers one by one to make sure everything was in working order. He did the same with his legs. Soon enough, he was fully dressed and ready to land on the Remnant. Having been specifically told to travel alone, on the way to the hangar to retrieve his ship, Vader gave orders to his 501st Legion to remain on the ship and stay with the crew. Should anything happen, they contact him for a course of action. Emergency ships to retrieve Vader were on standby on the bay of the Star Destroyer.

Reaching his ship, a simple transport, he spotted the Admiral who, despite looking nervous, was generally in a lighter mood. This was likely because Vader was leaving, or he had already interacted with him a few hours prior and has had time to adjust to the Dark Lord. "Safe travels, my Lord." He said as Vader reached the ramp of the ship. Nothing but his breathing served as a response. The door shut and the Sith looked to the pilot who had an aura of fear. "Take me to the planet." He said simply. "Yes, sir." The pilot responded.

As the pilot pushed buttons to activate the ship, the Dark Lord looked at the planet through the thin, light blue shields. It looked to be a simple planet. No shields to protect it from an attack from outer space. Why would the Emperor want such a place? It looked to serve no purpose militarily; it was off the grid. Nothing that would give them strategic value over the Rebels and was likely just going to be used for its resources for the Empire.

Pushing a lever, the pilot pushed them out of the hangar. The thrusters on the backside of the ship were activated, propelling them towards the Remnant. Whatever awaited him down there was surely to be a threat. It was unlikely that this 'Salem' would welcome them with open arms.


	3. Remnant

**Chapter 2 – Remnant**

Darth Vader had successfully landed, and his boots touched down on dirt. The pilot flew away back to the Star Destroyer, Vader watched as it disappeared into the sky and turned to face a forest-like place. The Dark Lord began walking. To where, he had no idea. His instructions up until this point were to wait for Salem's underlings to retrieve him. From his belt he pulled out a map of the world. They had done a full scan upon arrival. It showed his current position as an long way from any sort of civilization. Just ruins and old buildings were in his vicinity. He still walked until he had emerged out of the other side of the group of trees. In front of him was a small clearing.

Darkness emitted from the ground in the centre. Walking up to it, he found a small red glow from a pool of what appeared to be a blood-like substance. There was a presence behind him, not wholly evil, but not pure. Not in the slightest. Darth Vader turned around quickly, but the man that he saw was not fearful. He looked to be disinterested. Before him was a man with dark hair, a mustache and wore a formal attire, with brown fingerless gloves matching the colour of his boots and the vest he wore underneath his gray blazer. "Greetings," He said in a posh way, "I am Arthur Watts, and you must be…?" He waited for the black-clad 'man' in front of him to finish his sentence but was met with nothing. "I see… strong, silent type. We could use someone who talks less amongst our ranks." He finally spoke, his modulated voice unexpected by the man. "I am here to meet with the one called Salem, he said, his hands still at his side under his cloak. "Hm…" the man looked Vader up and down, "Salem is through the portal behind you." The Sith turned around to see the same puddle he examined earlier. He raised his hand and gestured towards the portal, "After you." He said to Watts who rolled his eyes, "Very well."

He stepped onto it and sunk down into the substance, disappearing without a trace. Vader followed suit, keeping his lightsaber in hand. On the other side, the world seemed filled and teeming with evil. The sky was red, casting an ominous glow onto the wasteland in front of him. Strange creatures walked towards him, snarling as they did. Vader placed his thumb on the ignition for his lightsaber and assumed a fighting stance. "They won't harm you. You're here to work with Salem. They are Grimm; attracted by negative emotions. If you're calm, you'll be fine. Anger, sadness, and chaos attract them."

Vader straightened himself and placed his weapon on his belt. In the distance was a castle that stood tall adorned with black brick. It reminded him of his own castle on Mustafar. The Dark Lord and his new 'companion' made his way over, the Grimm following.

* * *

Reaching the large black doors, Vader stood outside of them. He felt an enormously powerful dark presence. It was as if his Master was close by, only more… monstrous. Less calculating somehow. Watts pushed them open and placed his hands behind his back. Vader walked in behind him, his breathing bouncing off the walls of the large room, drawing the eyes of his newfound 'allies' towards him. The room had high windows with intricate designs and very little lighting, allowing the pale red of the sky to peer through and soak the room. In the centre of the room was a long table some seats filled and most not. At the head of the table was an empty chair, akin to that of a throne. The people in the room were staring at him, Vader explained his presence, his modulated voice filling the room, "I am here under the orders of my Master. From what I understand, you wish to take over this planet and serve the Galactic Empire. As a token of gratitude and trust, the Emperor has sent me." Watts walked to the left of table and sat directly across a young woman in a red dress.

Lord Vader glared around the room and decided to examine each person. Starting from the left, was a young woman near the centre of the table. She had green hair, dark skin and red eyes. Her clothing did little to provide any protection from attacks. Her neck was covered in a unique style of clothing, trailing down her body to underneath her arms through to her back. Her chest was covered by a simple green top, allowing her stomach to show. The green-haired girl's bottom half wore white shorts later covered by brown trousers. Beside her was a boy whose attire consisted of mainly grey and dark colours. His torso was covered by a short-sleeved shirt that propped up by the collar. The sleeves were met with grey vambraces and fingerless gloves on his hands and arms. He wore simple black pants meeting with metal boots. These two were standing up next to a window. At the table, next to Watts, sat a large man with his arms crossed. The large man had short hair and a beard. He wore a long green overcoat over a predominantly black outfit accompanied by grey boots. Across the table was a man with his hair tied up in a ponytail which trailed down his back. He wore a long brown coat covering his arms and shoulders, which were not covered by the white vest underneath. The centre area of both outfits allowed his scar-covered chest to show. His pants were white and led down his legs to the black boots which were situated on the chair itself. He was sitting in a curled, fetal-like position.

A dark presence approached, Vader's breathing slowed as he focused on it. Everyone else had felt the presence as well and removed their gazes from Vader to gaze at the door. The girl in green and the boy in grey walked around the table, behind Vader to stand at the girl in red's side.

The Sith Lord turned just as the large wooden doors opened revealing what looked to be a human Grimm. Everyone's gazes were turned away from Vader as the others in the room stood up and greeted their leader. She said nothing as she walked across the room to the other side of the head of the table. Her appearance was sickly.

A long black dress covered her eerily white skin which were also covered in black veins. The hair atop her head was whiter than her skin, tied up in elaborate braids giving it a rather distinct design, similar to that of a queen of Naboo. Lastly, her eyes were black with only the irises being visible in a blood red-like colour. Despite all of this, Vader sensed something much stranger. Her aura. It felt as if the being before him has been alive for centuries – perhaps millennia.

She approached the front of the room and allowed her voice to echo through the room, "Watts," she said turning around, "Do you find such malignance necessary?" Salem raiser her hand and lowered It slowly, signalling that her underlings could take their seats. Vader still stood. As she approached her seat, Watt's apologized, "I apologize, ma'am." His gaze was placed on the girl across from him, "I am not particularly fond of failure." She grimaced and looked at their leader, who said, "Then I do not see why you show such cruelty to young Cinder. She has become the Fall Maiden, destroyed Beacon Academy… and killed dear Ozpin." She directed her gaze to Watts, "To what failures are you referring to?"

Watts appeared to be looking for the right words to use, "Well… the girl with the Silver Eyes…" The large man spoke, his burly voice filling the room, "Yes… We've dealt with her kind before… how is it a novice was able to best one of us?" Watts agreed, "My thoughts exactly, it should have been simple even without her new power." Salem interjected, "It is _because_ of the Maiden's powers." She turned to the girl, "Make no mistake, Cinder, you hold the key to our victory, but your newfound strength comes with a crippling weakness. You will remain by my side until your treatment is completed."

Finally, her attention turned towards Lord Vader, who was still standing. Once again, his breathing became audible to the people in the room, it seems that they had forgotten him in the conversation. "Lord Vader, welcome." She said, standing up bowing, her underlings following suit. "We've been expecting you." Vader did not acknowledge this and instead asked a question of his own. "The Emperor has sent me as a token of trust and respect. He has instructed me to follow your orders and work alongside you and your underlings." He looked at her, "Temporarily." Salem sat down and placed one hand on the other. "Very well, would you care to have a seat?" She said gesturing to the seat closest to him. He looked at the seat and obliged, much to his annoyance. He wanted nothing more than to get back to tracking down his son. Watts interjected, "Is something wrong with you that your breathing is… mechanized?" Vader did not turn to face him, simply saying, "No concern of yours." Watts persisted, "I might be able to make you better than what you are, Vader." The Dark Lord turned to face him, no anger in his voice, but annoyance, albeit harder to detect due to the mask, "I said it is not your concern." Now Watts' curiosity was touched, "Are you human or are you an alien lifeform underneath tha-" He abruptly stopped speaking, drawing everyone's attention to looked at Watts.

The man was moving his mouth, but nothing was coming out. He then grabbed the collar of his shirt, adjusting it by placing his index finger inside and pulling it away from his neck. Watts then found fear in his eyes. He could not breathe! What was happening? The man in green next to him began to ask what is wrong until he pointed to the back of the room, at the end of the table. Everyone's eyes became fixed on Darth Vader, who was holding his left hand in Watts' direction, his index and middle fingers, as well as his thumb, extended. The girl in green was going to say something but stopped herself. The boy in grey snickered as Watts slammed his fist on the table. "That will be enough." Much to everyone's surprise, Vader let go and the doctor was breathing again. "As you wish." Watts glared at him and Vader glared back. "Enough prying, Doctor Watts. If I wish to tell you something, I will tell you. _If_ I need your help, I will ask. Am I understood?" Watts clenched his fist but let his anger falter, "Crystal."

Vader looked at Salem and expected to be met with a deathly glare from her also, however, he found a slightly satisfied look on her face, "It is good to know that the Emperor sent a person who knows where he stands on things." Vader repeated his earlier question, "What is it you would have me do?" Salem looked around the room, "Before we get into that, I would like to introduce you to your newfound allies." She began introducing them one by one, each saying 'hello' in their own way.

After this, she began assigning each person a mission to pursue. Cinder was to remain by her side and Watts to take her place and meet with their informant in a place called 'Mistral.' The one grinning constantly, named Tyrian, was to hunt for the spring Maiden. The large man, Hazel, was to meet with the leader of a group called the 'White Fang,' a boy named Adam Taurus. Cinder raiser her finger to get the green girl, Emerald's, attention, "Oh," she said, leaning into Cinder so she could speak into her ear. Faint whispers were spoken, Emerald stood up. "Speak, child." Salem said, prompting Emerald to repeat what Cinder had told her. "She wants to know… What about the girl?" Watts scoffed, "I hardly believe that is our problem. Seems to me this is Cinder's problem." The girl slammed her fist onto the table and glared menacingly, earning a grin from the doctor. "That's enough." Salem said holding her left hand up to end the conflict. "Tyrian," she said turning to him, "Yes, my lady?" he responded. "Spring can wait. Find the girl that did this to Cinder." The grinning man was filled with glee as he clapped and shuffled around in his seat. "And bring her to me." His happiness faded, and he sunk down but quickly found his satisfaction again.

She turned to the man in black, "Lord Vader, you are to accompany Tyrian and find the girl with the Silver Eyes." Vader looked at Tyrian who had lost his grin. "No," Vader said bluntly, "Let him go on his mission to find this Spring Maiden, I will hunt for the girl alone." Salem argued, "You don't know the way things work on this planet and will need help adjusting to it."

"I will be fine on my own."

"Tyrian will be a valuable asset on this mission. He is a Faunus and can track the scent of people."

Silence fell upon the room, "Very well," he looked at Tyrian, "Do not get intervene in my affairs, and I will not get in yours." Tyrian quickly nodded, "Oh yes, yes~!" Vader turned back Cinder, "Does this girl with Silver Eyes have a name?" Cinder simply looked at Emerald and the girl obliged, "Ruby Rose."

Darth Vader arose from his chair, "I will bring the girl alive." He said turning around towards the door. "However," he said peering over his right shoulder, "What would you have me do in the even that she perishes in our conflict?" Salem placed her hands neatly on her lap, "If she dies, then we lose a possible ally." Vader turned around, she sensed his confusion as well as everyone else's in the room, "I wish to see if she can be rallied to our side; by way of exploiting a fear or weakness she has. Or perhaps breaking her mind." Vader said nothing as he walked out of the room, his breathing echoing down the hall. Such a mission does not make his waver in any way, after all he _was_ accustomed to killing innocents; men, women, and children alike.


	4. The Hunt Begins

**To N, I'm glad you were able to get it! I figure it was a little fun to poke at it! :D Thanks for the review.**

 **To Guest – in regards to the Empire's method of conquering Remnant – First off, good question! I had it in the back of my mind that troops should be in volved, but ultimately, I felt like making Vader sort of a lone wolf in this. Showing that he is, essentially, a pawn of the Emperor, forced to do his bidding and such. Also, I get that Vader is blunt and swift in the way he wants things done, but I like to think that the Emperor wanted this overseen by his right-hand. No mistakes, not troopers. Furthermore, I want to show that the Emperor trusts Salem enough that he would give her his apprentice (for the time being). Orbital bombardment would be too much destruction, the Empire needs something to rule after Vader completes his mission.**

 **Thanks for the review, I appreciate the critiquing, it keeps me in check XD. But overall, the Empire wants to knock out the pillars that hold the Huntresses and Huntsmen together, and right now, Salem knows what that is, and thus, it is necessary to work with her. Hope I covered your question, if you have anymore, feel free to ask, until then, here is the next chapter!**

 **Chapter 3 – The Hunt Begins**

Vader stood at where he had emerged with Watts, a blood-like puddle staining the black dirt beneath it. He had his orders and was waiting for Tyrian to join him. The Dark Lord reached to his belt and retrieved a small, mobile communicator. It was disc-shaped and fit nicely into the palm of the hand. A button was pressed, and he waited for the transmission to connect him with the Emperor, however, the device simply beeped, and the blue light faded, signaling that there was no connection. Where exactly _was_ he? He had no way of knowing, the only thing he could see was the shattered moon and a crimson sky.

Eventually, Tyrian joined him, humming a jolly tune. Vader simply walked towards the puddle, "This will bring us to the girl?" His companion grinned. Again.

"It will bring us to her general location… I think. The Goddess has many abilities, but clairvoyance is not one of them."

"And what are her abilities, exactly?"

This question put a pondering look on Tyrian's face, "Hmm, I don't know actually. Not the full details… I just know that she wants the world to burn, and _that_ is something that makes serving her so much _fun_!"

The Dark Lord simply stepped onto the portal and fell through, appearing on the other side, landing on a grassy plain. He looked around, it was not the same field he was in upon entering, it looked different. This place had small rock formations whereas the one he was in prior was simply grass. The sun was dipping into the West, signifying that there were still many hours until nightfall.

He decided to contact the Emperor later, as a dark presence was felt, but it was faded. Dead, would be more accurate. Vader moved closer to the rock formations to see that they appeared to be broken off. The patterns in the dirt showed that there was much conflict, a fight that forced… the rocks to _move_? Was there a Jedi nearby? No. He would have felt it. Tyrian cleared up some of his hidden confusion, "Lady Salem said that there was a Geist Grimm that had fallen in this area… I guess we found what's left." He chuckled looking at scattered rocks, "But it looks like he put up quite a fight!" He looked at Vader who was still glaring at the rocks. He then walked over to a nearby cliff which had skid marks, signifying that the Grimm slid off the edge. "She was here. The girl with the Silver Eyes." Tyrian went to the ground and began watching closely, as if looking at an insect. "What are you doing?" Vader more demanded than asked. "I'm looking for tracks." He responded as if the act was self-explanatory by what he was doing. Vader rolled his eyes under his helmet. Suddenly, Tyrian began jumping excitedly, clapping like a child, "Hee, hee, let's find her and kill her, and- I mean bring her to the Goddess! Let's go! Let's GO~!"

"No." Vader said, "You rush, you underestimate the enemy. You underestimate the enemy, you fail. You fail," He looked at him, "You die." The insane man visibly sighed with his voice and body. "The fight continued at the bottom of this cliff. We must find out what we can about our enemies." Vader said as they began their descent down the cliff.

While down there, they found tracks and shell casings while investigating. The casings looked as if they belonged to a Cycler Rifle; being that it was a physical bullet and not a blaster rifle. As they further investigated, Vader found more shell casings, some not belonging to that of a Cycler Rifle, but something smaller, less accurate. A rapid firing sub-machine gun by the look of it. By the trunk of one of the trees, there were casings left by what appeared to be a grenade launcher. There was more than one person here other than just Ruby Rose, unless she has many weapons. Eventually, Tyrian found some tracks that they would be able to follow. Boots likely left by their target. Vader traced the path of the tracks with a holographic map, "They may be hiding here, in this village." The Faunus watched with a smile, wickedly grinning in anticipation of a good fight. "We must go. They may still be there." The Dark Lord said walking in the direction.

* * *

They spent some time walking in the direction of the village. The first half of the trip was awkward and silent. None of the servants of darkness even tried to strike up a conversation until the black-clad one inquired into the insane one with a question, "What is a Faunus? Salem said you were one." Tyrian stopped walking and stared at Vader for about five seconds, "You… don't know what a Faunus is?" Vader simply stared, "Oh!" He said hitting his palm on his head as they began walking again, "That's right! You're from _space_! A Faunus is a person who is half animal and half human. I am half Scorpion; my poison can immobilize a target so that I can have my way with them! It's wonderful!" Vader simply replied with "I see." Again, silence took their conversation, but the village came into view.

"You stay on the outskirts and look for any sign of a trap. I will speak with the village leader."

"Why? Can't we just beat the information out of them."

"No."

"It's a surer way of getting it."

"We were not sent to plunder a village. We were sent to obtain the girl."

"But-"

"Do as I say."

With that, Vader walked towards the village and Tyrian patrolled the outskirts looking for traps and enemies.

* * *

The Dark Lord reached the village, the place was teeming with life and peace. It was long since Vader had seen a place in such a state. The villagers were becoming restless as the people spotted him. Balconies became barren and the ground level was wide-spread with men and women holding pitchforks, children at their sides. Vader simply stood in the centre of the half-circle they had created and looked at them. Moving his head from the left to the right, he did not see anyone with Silver Eyes or anyone carrying a large sniper rifle. Eventually, a man with long hair tied up in a bun, on his chin was a short beard stretching, but fading along his sideburns and mustache. He was wearing a long red robe with large jade beads around his neck and gold on the ends of sleeves. He looked at Vader with concern, "How may I help you?" The Sith Apprentice decided to get straight to the point, "There was a girl who must have come through here, or is here right now. Her name is Ruby Rose."

"I do not know what you're talking about. We have not had any visitors as of late."

He was lying, Vader could sense it. "You lie." He walked towards him, creating unrest in the crowd, "Is she here?" The leader averted his eyes, Vader's breathing and modulated voice spreading fear and despair. "Answer me." the Dark Lord demanded. "No one was here."

"You would risk the entire village?"

"There is no reason for that, leave us. There was no girl."

"Enough of this."

Vader walked backwards two steps and extended his left hand to the crowd, bringing a child towards him with the Force. A woman, likely the boy's mother, screamed "No!" and tried to run after him but was pulled back by a man. Vader kept the boy on his knees at his side, "You have _one_ more chance. Tell me where the girl is or where she is going. I know she was here." He made the child float and closed his airway, making him grip his neck. The mother began pleading him to stop but Vader was unwavering, looking only at the leader. She turned her attention to the leader as well and pleaded to him, "Please, just tell it where they were going!" The boy's face began to turn pale. Finally, the leader spoke, "Stop! I'll tell you! I'll tell you!" The boy dropped to the ground and the mother ran over to him, clutching his head and bringing him close to her chest and resting her head on his. She and the boy retreated into the crowd. The leader said, "They were headed to Mistral. I don't know for what, all I know is that they were going there!"

"How many were there?"

"There were four of them. One had a red cape, she was the leader, Ruby Rose. The others I did not get their names. A girl with a pink skirt and white top, and two boys; one wearing green and one wearing white armour."

"Which way is Mistral?" Vader said pulling out the holographic map, "Point to it." He pointed to a place far to the North-East. It created a red marker and closed as Vader placed it back into his belt. "Thank you." He said with no sincerity, walking past him and to the other end of the village. He stopped, turning back to him, "If you try to warn them in any way, I will come back here and slaughter every everything and everyone in this village. Am I understood?" The leader nodded, "Yes. I understand."

Darth Vader left the village and was shortly joined by Tyrian who reported no traps or signs of them. "They are going to the city of Mistral." Tyrian simply responded with "Oooh~ goody!" as they began walking along the path, in pursuit of the targets.


	5. Suffer

**Chapter 4 – Suffer**

They had walked for about a mile. While walking, Vader thought it to be an adequate time to contact the Emperor and pulled out his communicator. "Tyrian, scout ahead." He ordered. Quickly, Tyrian was gone and Vader was alone, he clocked the device. The light appeared and successfully connected him to the Emperor, "My Master." The Emperor simply responded with "Lord Vader, have you met with Salem?"

"Yes. I am currently on a mission with one of her minions and am hunting a girl with Silver Eyes."

"I see."

"How long do you wish me to be here?"

"Once Salem has enough control of the planet, you will leave. Until then continue to serve her. Her power will be a great asset in the war with the Rebellion."

"Yes, Master."

The device went blank and Vader placed it in his belt again. Tyrian had not returned yet, so the Sith Lord decided round the path up ahead and found him crouched behind a fallen tree. Following Tyrian's gaze, Vader saw that there was a blockade of sorts, made by bandits with branches what appeared to be vehicles, similar to speeders, except they were on wheels not propulsion thrusters. Tyrian glanced backwards to see Vader, "We could sneak around, and bypass them or…" A grin spread on his face, "…We can just fight them all. Kill 'em all. What do ya thi-?" Vader was already walking forward, his breathing slow and menacing, "You stand in the way of the representative of the Galactic Empire. You will move or die." All of the members of the group traded glances and laughter burst out among their ranks. A young boy with red hair stood up and spoke, "Wow! That was… funny. Tell you what. You get a pass this time. Walk away and you can keep your kneecaps, but hand over your money." He said aiming long metal spear with a gun barrel attached to the front, making it a sniper rifle. A formidable weapon from far and close combat. The others had swords and cleavers that looked to be connected with firearms as well. "You are their leader?" Vader questioned the red-head, gesturing to the group. "Yeah. Yeah, I am, and my baby here," he patted his spear, "have been through a _lot_ together. Killed so many and injured many more." Vader lightly chuckled, he could not believe this, "You think you know suffering?" The red-head stood up, a fierce look in his eyes, his smile faded, "Oh yeah? My father beat me until I bled, and kept doing it until I knew that I didn't have to take it anymore. He killed my mother, so I took his life." It was clearly a sensitive subject. Vader tilted his head sideways, "You killed him." He patted the spear once more, "With his own weapon. He was a Huntsman, but he was an even bigger piece of filth."

Tyrian walked up to Vader, standing at his side, "Hehe, how wonderful, truly, but we really need to get moving." He looked to Vader, "I don't even know why he's giving you a chance if it were up to me, you'd all be dead already!" The red-head threw up his hands in a fake surrender, "Oooh! I'm really quaking in my boots now!" Laughter spread once more, anger through Vader. "You had your chance." He raised his hand and two of the bandits came flying towards Vader, one dropped his weapon but the other still had hers. She readied it and held it over her head, but Vader stopped them right in front of him. He gripped his hand into a fist and loud crack was heard. They dropped to the floor, their eyes lifeless and their bodies even less so. "Kill them!" The boy ordered. Tyrian sprung into action, his wristblades firing at the enemies in front of them! Lord Vader blocked the shots coming from by making them suspend in the air. He threw them back and grabbed his lightsaber. Pushing the ignition button, a loud hissing noise was heard, and a crimson glow became visible. The bandits were shocked to see such a weapon. Apparently, there were no lightsabers on Remnant. "Sh-Shoot him!" the leader shrieked. His allies did, but the bullets were met with the crimson blade. After blocking a few, Vader made his way to his enemies, one step at a time.

Tyrian took point and used the trees as cover as he ran with along the treeline. Brutal strikes at the ready, he unleashed them and the bandits before them had become a sea of red. Tyrian jumped out of the way, leaving as quickly as he had come, giving Vader just enough time to get into striking distance. There were two bandits in front of him. He reached out with the Force and crudely pulled the weapons away and struck one down in a wide arc, but not wide enough as one had gotten away and was running away to his allies hiding behind the vehicles.

Picking up the vehicles with the Force, the Dark Lord threw them at their owners, most of them knocking unconsciousness or crudely striking them on the head killing them on impact. Much of the bandits were down, and the fighting was dissipating. But there was still opposition. Tyrian was behind the group and picking people off from the rear. Vader was slowly but surely cutting them down from the front. One ran at him with a sword, it was surprisingly quick, and Vader had to put his lightsaber in a less than favourable position; horizontal, pointed to the left and tilted up just slightly. The metal blade clashed with the red, but Vader was confused by this. He had expected the metal to be cut cleanly through by the crimson blade, but it was able to withstand the contact. He pushed hard and the boy fell to the ground. Vader used the Force to pick him up, choking him. Vader moved him in front of the incoming fire, blocking the bullets and ending his life. Or so the Dark Lord thought. The boy was writhing in pain on the floor a light glow emanating from his skin. What was this? Vader looked up to see the men and women cowering. Aside from the young one who was glowing, there were only seven of them left. They had all dropped their weapons and were holding their hands up in surrender.

A cluster of voices rang out from the group in front of him, but there was one that was louder than the rest. It belonged to the leader, "We give up! Please don't kill us!" Vader walked up to him, Tyrian beside him, "We-We're just trying to make a living, man. Please just-!" His eyes were met with the unforgiving, soulless eyes of Vader's helmet. The remaining ones kneeled beside their leader and begged along with him. Vader pondered his pleading, _Let them go? No._ he decided to teach the boy a lesson instead. "Tyrian." The insane man looked at his black-clad acquaintance, "Kill them." He ordered. He chuckled and flicked his wrists the blades shining in the sunlight. "With pleasure." He walked towards the leader, "No." Vader's voice rang out, "He will die last." Tyrian walked over to the others, their fear ripe, "Sorry!" he said in a hollow, insincere way.

Tyrian began the slaughter.

* * *

Finally, after Tyrian was finished, he slowly walked over to the leader, who was now stunned and shocked, but Vader figured that he would recover. Tyrian towered over him, "Ready to die?" The red-head said nothing. He raised his right hand, the wristblade drenched in the blood of his friends and just when he was about to bring it down on him, Vader gave another order. "That is enough." Tyrian's purple eyes turned back to Vader, "Are you kidding me?"

The leader looked up at Vader, his eyes puffed from crying, "Why? Why not just end it? Please just do it!" Vader walked up to him, towering over him, his breathing would have sent shivers down the red-head's spine, but he had heard it for the past twenty minutes. The worst twenty minutes of his life. Everyone he knew was gone.

Vader told the boy one thing, something he had become very accustomed to, just a single word that summed up his entire being:

"Suffer."

The Dark Lord began following the trail towards Ruby Rose and her friends once more, leaving the boy to do just as he said.


	6. Moving Closer

**Chapter 5 – Moving Closer**

The sun was now deeper in the sky, painting the in an orange that would be beautiful to anyone else, but not the two servants of darkness that walked along the dirt path. It would be nightfall soon. Tyrian proposed that they should sleep and start bright and early, "That's when predators like to hunt anyway!" he reasoned. Vader responded with "I will continue on; do as you like."

"But aren't we supposed to be together in all this?"

"We will reconvene at a later point."

"Where then?"

Vader pulled out his map and scouted a small abandoned village on it that looked to be decimated. The device estimated that it would be about a day's walk to get there. "Here." He said pointing to it, "Okay." Tyrian said, "See ya there, then!" he said waving. The holographic map faded, and Vader just walked, not giving it a second thought.

* * *

Once he was out of the view of the temporary camp that Tyrian had crafted, Vader allowed his thoughts to collect in his mind. Ruby Rose was likely a formidable fighter. Judging by the skid marks on the ground, the Geist Grimm was large. She was but a girl, a _child_ , how was she able to fight such a large creature? Was the girl a Huntsman? Like the boy from earlier had mentioned? All of these questions evoked one that was pushed to the back of his mind:

How was one of the bandits' weapon's able to withstand a strike from his lightsaber?

Vader pulled out his audio-only communicator and contacted the Admiral Elatar. "Admiral." He spoke into the communicator. There was some silence and Vader heard his own footsteps hitting the dirt ground. "Yes, my Lord?" Elatar's voice came from the communicator. Vader ordered,

"I want you to send a droid to scan this planet for any information of 'Huntsman.' I want to know what their abilities are, what the nature of their existence is, how many there are. Also, find me information on my target Ruby Rose. I also want to know any information on the ones called 'Ozpin' and Salem and the beings known as Grimm as well as those on 'Maidens.' Find all the information you can."

"The droid is being prepped and dispatched now. It will come to you and give you information and will be sent back to the ship."

"Very good Admiral. Scan for any rebel presence on the planet as well."

"Yes, sir."

The call ended, and Vader looked up to see the same night sky that looked down on him before the call. The quiet bliss reminded him of Tatooine. His home.

No.

Not _his_ home. Anakin Skywalker's home. As Vader began to imagine his sandy home, anger took him. The grainy substance had symbolized the Jedi's time as a slave, when the boy and his mother were treated no better than the beggars who decorated the streets. It also reminded him of the time the boy's mother was killed. The first time the Dark Side flowed through him.

Vader pushed the thoughts away and decided to fix his thoughts on something else. He took up his lightsaber and held it in his gloved palm. Within it was a red Kyber Crystal, that once belonged to the Jedi Master Kirak Infil'a, who took the Barash Vow, thus avoiding Order 66. He hunted him down and killed him along with a village of innocent people. Women and children were drowned and his hatred for the Jedi and all those who remain. Bringing the Crystal to his Master, Vader was further instructed to pour his rage and anguish into the Kyber Crystal to force it to bleed. The Crystal, due to the fact that it is a living being, rejected the negative energy and threw him back. The lens of his helmet had shattered and revealed the eye of Anakin Skywalker, "What have I done?" he questioned. Then a vision came; he would go back to Palpatine and use the green lightsaber to slay him in the office where his life changed forever. He would then track down Obi-Wan Kenobi and plead him to help him back to the Light. However, Vader stood back up and his eyes became filled with hatred and turned a sickly yellow. "No." he said, "This is all there is." He grabbed the Crystal and poured every ounce of hatred from both Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader into it.

The Emperor was pleased with his new Apprentice's accomplishment. A crimson, blood-red blade. It reminded Vader of many things; blood, fire, hate. But most of all it reminded him of the Lava that ran beneath his castle on Mustafar. Built on the exact spot where he had fallen and suffered his greatest failure.

Vader heard shifting in the forest to his right and a Grimm emerged. He placed his weapon onto his belt and stood to face the monster. It stood on all fours and had a white skull-like patter on it's head. "I serve your master, you would be wise to turn away." The thing just snarled, "Do you not understand?" Vader sighed. Of course, it did not understand, it was a feral beast. Watts had stated that these animals are attracted by negative emotion. Given what Vader was just thinking about would explain the presence of the Grimm. He simply walked away, but kept the creatures position in mind, his right hand ready to grab his lightsaber.

The Grimm followed, as if stalking prey. It pounced. Vader spun around, lightsaber in hand, cape following violently. He pressed the button and the black night was bathed in a crimson light as his saber was ignited with a hiss. Using the momentum from spinning, he was able to slice through the creature with ease by swinging the lightsaber with both hands and cutting the creature in two. The Grimm fell to the floor and evaporated into the night air. Vader watched as the pieces of the Grimm fluttered and were taken by the wind. The vicious hum of his lightsaber became audible to him. He stared into the crimson blade pressed the ignition button once again, turning it off. The Dark Lord placed the lightsaber back onto his belt and began walking again.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Lord Vader was tired and fatigued. He had been walking for about five hours now, and the shattered moon was still in the sky, but it was dipping towards the East. It would be sunrise soon. If nothing, he should get sleep somehow, but to be well rested, he would need his Bacta Tank. Vader strayed from the path and found a small patch of grass he could rest on. He laid down and allowed his head to rest. In a matter of seconds, his breathing slowed, and he was unconscious, but still conscious in some way. The Force acted as a guard while he slept, this allowed a Force user to have a sort of 'alarm' system when danger was nearby. Vader expected a Grimm to show up and would be ready in such a situation.

The night passed without so much as an event and Vader arose, dusting himself off and ready to pursue his target once more. That was until he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Vader turned around fully and ordered, "Come out." A droid emerged from a bush. It's electronic and monotone voice spoke, "A message from Admiral Eltara, sir." Vader began towards the dirt path, "Walk with me, droid, there is ground to cover and information to be heard." They had reached the road and began their journey again, "Speak." The droid began filling Vader in with information about what he had asked earlier.

Apparently, Huntsman and Huntresses were warriors who fought against the Grimm and protected humanity. Academies across the planet were created to train them from young. Each Huntsman has an Aura and Semblance. One's Aura is the manifestation of their soul. It protects them from harm and can save them from death – even fatal blows. The droid used an example, if a person were to be shot by a blaster, the wound would be just a simple bruise instead of a burn. A Semblance is a special ability specific to one individual. One's power. The droid said. Some can control metal, others can control emotion. "Ruby Rose?" The droid gave him much information on the girl. At the age of fourteen, she led a group of Huntresses who were named "Team RWBY" The members of this team included Yang Xiao-Long, her older sister, Blake Belladonna, a cat Faunus, and Weiss Schnee, the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. Rose' Semblance was moving at an incredible speed, faster than the human eye.

"What of Ozpin?" Vader asked. The man in question was the headmaster of Beacon Academy and a very powerful Huntsman. It is apparent that he perished in the Fall of Beacon. An event that plunged the world into darkness a few months ago. Vader asked, "And Salem?" But there was no information in the place it searched. "Where did you search?"

"The building known as Beacon Academy was searched, sir."

"There was no information on Salem?"

"Nada."

"Very well. The Grimm?"

"They are soulless beings bent on causing destruction and death. They kill and eat people not because they need to for survival, but that they _want_ to, sir. They are attracted by negative emotions and feelings of humans. Fear, anger, hatred, and sadness are some examples."

"I see… The Maidens then?"

"Just stories from fairy-tales, I'm afraid. They were fours sisters, Fall, Spring, Winter, and Summer. To make this quick, they were the guardians of the world and each had dominion over it depending on the season."

Vader pondered for about a minute until the decimated village had come into view, "Go back to the Admiral and fill him in on everything you had just told me. If more information is required, go to Beacon Academy but also libraries and governmental records. If there is information, I want it found." The droid responded, "Yes, sir." And flew off into the sky. Continuing his path, Vader reached the village to find the place charred and desolate. Dead bodies of soldiers littered the ground, their blood leaking out of the wounds had turned dry and brown. They had been here for some time. Some Grimm were feeding on some of the corpses in buildings and in the street.

The black-cloaked figure heard footsteps, but a darkness walked with them. Emerging from the building was Tyrian. "Hiya!" he greeted with a wave. "How did you reach this place before me?" Vader demanded. His companion simply shrugged, "I'm faster?" Vader turned his gaze to the cobble-stone road, "The Grimm attacked this place." He surmised. The insane one said, "Hmm… Maybe. But Grimm sense negative emotions. Maybe… Something else attacked them first." Vader turned to him, as he continued, "and the Grimm were only attracted because of the unrest? Hehe… Wonderful!"

The Dark Lord looked and saw that the destroyed buildings held Grimm, first floor, second floor and likely the basements as well. "Are we going through?" the Dark Lord asked his companion. "Yep." He said stepping forward. "Just stay calm, think happy thoughts. I like to think of slaughter!"

Vader walked with him and did his best to think calming thoughts. His son was one of them. Luke Skywalker would succumb to the Dark Side once he knew its true power and the two would rule the galaxy as father and son. The thought _did_ comfort him, and it seemed to be working; the Grimm were minding their own business and the dark duo were able to make it through the town without a hint of a problem.

On the other side of town, Vader pulled out his map to find another small village, but it did not seem to be desolate. It looked to be functional and full of life, if Ruby Rose were to stop somewhere, it would be there. "We will go there. Rose is likely to be there."

"Okay, we should be able to get there by sunset… Well _me_ , anyway."

"Explain."

"Well, you decided to keep walking and I still got to this place faster than you."

"I rested as well."

"Oh… For how long?"

"Enough time."

"Okay then. Let's go!"

They began walking, Vader leading the way.

* * *

It was would be nightfall soon and the duo had just made it to the small town. "Search the inns. Take the one to the left, I will take the right." Tyrian obliged and walked into the inn. Vader entered the one to the right and received terrified glances. Questions rang out around the lobby. Was he a Grimm of some kind? A robot from something called 'Atlas.' Was he a Huntsman? He even heard someone mention that he was the Reaper. Ignoring these questions and statements, Darth Vader marched to the front desk and demanded, "Your registry. Let me see it."

The dark-skinned man in front of him was wearing a brown sleeve-less robe with a red sash tied around his waist. "What… Are you? Some kind of Grimm?"

"What I am is none of your concern, just know I am much worse than any Grimm. a group of four was or still is here. Young, all able-bodied and specializing in specific weapon styles. I must speak with them."

"Um, I cannot do that. Customer confidentiality."

The man shrugged sheepishly, his hand slowly sneaking under the desk. "Apparently, there is a misunderstanding. This is not a matter of confidentiality, it is one of life and death. Yours to be precise. The registry." With extreme speed, the man pulled out a shotgun and fired at Vader! A look of shock found it's way to the man's face as the pellets from the shell were suspended in the air. "Unwise." With the sound of metal on the hardwood surface below, the pellets dropped. Using the Force, the Dark Lord threw away the gun and picked the man up and threw him into the wall, knocking him unconscious. Walking around the desk, Vader saw that there was a small portable computer that served as the registry. Typing 'Ruby Rose' into the database showed that the two rooms they had booked were now vacant and they had officially checked out.

The room was now empty, and the authorities were likely to have been called. Deciding to check on Tyrian, the black-clad figure exited and made his way to the neighbouring building. Opening the door, Vader saw a woman cowering in the corner and Tyrian closing in on her, weapons drawn. "Tyrian." He said, "They are not here anymore. Likely left towards Mistral again." The Faunus lowered his weapons held his head down. Sighing and turning, he said, "Let's go then." He turned in a sarcastic way and said, "Thank you!" to the waitress. She shivered as a response.

With that, Vader and Tyrian were well on their way to catching Ruby Rose.

Vader pulled out the map again, "They are likely to have gone towards this unfinished city here." He said pointing to it. "Good. We can cut through here and ambush them in there." Tyrian said pointing along a forest path unmarked and unkept, but serviceable if one did not mind trees and their branches. The Dark Lord nodded and the two took off in the direction of the city, avoiding the main path and trudging through bushes and foliage.

Ruby Rose would be in their possession soon.


	7. Ambush

**Just a reminder, this story has an M rating.**

 **Chapter 6 - Ambush**

Vader and Tyrian had arrived at the city or rather, what was left of it. The buildings here wasted away under the dreaded night sky. Frames were unfinished, and the structures were about ready to fall and crumble. Not a single Grimm was in sight, the only noise present was the sound of Vader's breathing that, because of the quietness, ricocheted off the surrounding white walls. Those that were up, anyway. "They'll be here soon. I can smell them!"

"Silence."

"What?"

"You will give away our position."

"… And you won't?"

Vader shot a glare at the Faunus who chuckled lightly, "Only joking, lighten up a bit. Get your hands dirty!"

"My hands have not been clean for a great amount of time."

"Ohh~! What did you do?"

Vader simply went silent as the wind howled in the distance, flowing through a nearby bell tower. Tyrian suddenly perked up, "What is your weapon anyway? I mean I briefly saw a red light…" The Dark Lord turned to him in annoyance, "We not sent here converse with one another. Focus. They will be here soon."

Tyrian sat down and crossed his legs, Vader simply looked to the stars.

* * *

After some time, a new energy was felt by the Force. "They are here." Vader said walking towards two buildings that created a narrow alleyway. "You are faster, you will attack them first, I will follow from the side." Tyrian mock-saluted to Vader, "Good hunting!" he said with yet another sickly grin.

Four figures walked through the arching passageway in the wall, reaching about ten metres into the courtyard, the one in front held out his hand, signaling his companions to stop. They heard something. Something coming at them fast. Deadly.

Tyrian launched out of a building and flipped to a great height, landing at the far end of the courtyard, drawing his weapons and running at great speed. Quickly and maniacally, he slashed at Ruby Rose, who carried an extremely large scythe. However, instead of reaching her, he was blocked by the one in green who sported two pistols with blades at the end of the barrel. They traded blows, the one in green shooting and swinging, but to no avail as Tyrian parried and dodged. The conflict ended by Tyrian kicking the boy away. Then he ran towards Ruby Rose, wearing a red and black outfit as if to match her scythe. She blocked and parried, avoiding the blades of her attacker. She tried to attack him, she went around but he saw it coming and readied a counterattack, cutting her hand and making a red spark appear. Then the boy with white and gold armour came to her aid. The Faunus jumped onto his shield and brought his face close to the boy's. With a chuckle, he was sent off by the girl in a pink skirt who swung her large hammer only to have it jumped on by Tyrian. He used the force of the hammer to send himself into the building behind them, crashing through the wall. When the smoke cleared, he was standing propped up using his legs to keep his balance in the hole he had created. "We're not looking for a fight!" The blonde one shouted up. His friend followed, "Who are you?"

With another chuckle, he landed on the ground. "Who I am matters not to you…" He began pointing at the one in green, "Or you…" Then the girl in pink, "Or you…" His hand then went to the boy in white armour, "Or…" his finger went to his chin. "Hm, you actually interest me." The boy shivered visibly and audibly. The Faunus chuckled, "No, no, I only matter…" His finger pointed again to the youngest one in the group, "To you!" The girl questioningly asked, "Me?" Apparently, this was funny to Tyrian as he began laughing. Again. "You haven't the slightest clue, have you?" Defiance found its way into the Ruby Rose' eyes, "What do you want?"

"Oh, the rose has thorns! My little flower, I'm here to whisk you away with me."

The pink one stepped forward, "And what if she doesn't want to go with you?" He simply responded with, "Then I take her." The boy held his shield up, saying, "We won't let you do that." Tyrian smiled, "Good."

Footsteps were heard behind them, Ruby and the green one turned around, the two in front still facing Tyrian. The footsteps were not fast-paced, like the man before them. These were something more… sinister. The dark night made it hard to see, but they barely make out a figure in the darkness. "What is…?" The girl asked, squinting. Suddenly, a sound was heard, a sound that made everyone's spines shiver. It sounded like… breathing?

Out of the shadows, a tall black figure emerged, the breathing was now fully audible and loud enough for the whole group to hear. A modulated voice filled the silence, "Ruby Rose." The figure went silent, as if giving the young girl time to answer, she opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by the creature before her, "Should you come quietly, you would spare your friends a great deal of pain, and us, time." The green one spoke, "We already told you, she's not going anywhere." Vader grabbed his lightsaber, saying, "Then you have made your choice." And ignited it, bathing the black night in the crimson glow. The group jumped at the loud hiss and a lingering hum was produced by the weapon.

The Dark Lord swiped at Ruby Rose' head, forcing her to duck and hop out of the way to Vader's the right. He used her momentum to push her with the Force and send her flying farther away. The boy dodged as well but looked behind his blonde friend just in time to see Tyrian appear behind him. "Jaune!" he yelled firing his weapons. The harsh hum of Vader's lightsaber, made the boy roll out of the way without looking. Swiping vertically, the weapon had just missed him and created an orange mark on the ground the quickly turned black. "Ren!" The voice of Ruby Rose was heard, grabbing the attention of Vader and the boy. "Move!" she said, aiming her scythe. A barrel popped out of the front and shot a high caliber bullet at the man in black. The one named Ren jumped away, leaving Vader to block the bullet with his lightsaber. However, what happened was not anticipated. A fiery explosion erupted in front of him and he was sent backwards. Twisting himself and flipping, he was able to land on his feet. Looking over his shoulder, Vader saw Jaune and the girl in pink fighting Tyrian who was chuckling the entire time. His attention was towards the boy and the girl behind him looked to be bracing herself for something. The Dark Lord turned his attention back towards Ruby and Ren. There was much distance between them now. He walked forward, lightsaber at the ready, blocking the bullets from the boy and swiping at him when he got too close. While he was doing this, Rose was providing cover fire, Vader dodged and weaved to avoid being shot. Each time he slashed at this Ren, he was gone. The boy was very quick, but he was going to tire out eventually.

The gap was closing now, and Vader opened his left palm just in time to catch Ren. He was suspended in the air and thrown into a nearby building. Ruby Rose shrieked as he flew, and Vader walked towards her. Vader's lightsaber was held up as he went to discard the girl's weapon with his left hand. But Vader had forgotten to take her Semblance into account. She spun and became a cluster of roses as her cape surrounded her and charged him, bringing him towards the centre of town and her allies. The black-clad man lost his grip and his lightsaber was dropped. Ruby Rose threw him into a pile of nearby boxes, which were levelled upon contact, as the wood was old and worn. She regrouped with her team along with Ren.

With a grunt, Vader sat up. Checking himself quickly it appeared that nothing was broken or punctured. He got to his feet and saw his lightsaber at the end of the courtyard where he was thrown. Looking to his right, he saw the girl in pink get shot by Ruby Rose. Tyrian began laughing maniacally, saying "Well, if that isn't ironic!" Despite their ally being shot, none of the teenagers seemed in the least bit worried. This was a plan of some sort. When the smoke cleared, the girl was still standing behind him! The Dark Lord got back to his feet.

Vader reached out with the Force and summoned his weapon, walking towards Ruby Rose. She turned around just in time to see his lightsaber ignite and block the incoming strike, putting them in a weapon lock. She was surprisingly strong for a girl of her stature. Vader looked up to see the girl race at inhuman speeds and swing at Tyrian with red electricity surrounding her and the hammer. A clash was heard, and dirt flew up, hiding Tyrian and the girl from view.

When the smoke cleared, Tyrian's tail was being used to block the hammer. "Surprise!" he exclaimed. Kicking the girl with one foot then the other, he threw off his coat and flipped up onto a nearby roof. Ren exclaimed, "He's… a Faunus?!" Ruby Rose stepped forward, "What is this about? The White Fang? Roman Torchwick?" Tyrian began to ramble again, and Vader used this opportunity to grab Ruby Rose. He threw his saber at her hand, forcing her to drop her weapon, then brought her to him with the Force. He placed his left hand on her shoulder, which measured up to his stomach. His lightsaber came back to him and he held it at her throat, simply holding it horizontally. "Move and she dies." He simply stated. The heat from the blade was making Ruby's face sweat and she struggled to get away. His grip on her shoulder tightened, making her wince, "Do _not_ move." A boy's voice rang out, "Let her go!" Vader's attention turned to the boy in armour, his sword held up pointed at the Dark Lord. Tears were welling up in his eyes. Pathetic. "If you follow us, she dies. If you track us, she dies." Vader waved his left hand at the side of her head and she fell unconscious and into his arms. He lowered his blade with a zip and held it with the girl.

A new presence was felt. A man crashed through the wall and landed on the ground looking at Vader. He wore a white dress shirt that darkened in the centre and on the sleeves. He had a long and tattered cape flowing down to his knees which were covered with black slacks. On his feet were simple dress shoes and around his neck a small cross hanging by the left arm. "Get away from my niece!" He said drawing his weapon, an over-sized sword. "If you wish for her to live, you will stand down."

"I don't think so."

"You would risk her life?"

"Drop her."

"Stand. Down."

The man charged forward and readying his weapon at an extreme speed. "Unwise." Vader said dodging and putting the girl down and spinning making his red blade appear and swing at the man, who jumped away. Vader stepped in front of the girl and held his blade at waist level, pointing it up as to create a defensive stance. This fight would not be easy. Against all five of those before him, he would have to be on the defensive. "Tyrian. Get the girl to Salem. I will handle this." Tyrian giggled and swept the girl up and began to run with her over his shoulder. "No!" the blonde one shouted and ran at the Faunus. Vader held up his hand and pushed the boy backwards, making him roll against the ground. "Jaune!" the pink one yelled, Ren fired at Vader who expertly blocked the shots and began sauntering closer to the group. The girl turned her attention back to Vader and launched a grenade at him. He jumped to avoid it, allowing the blast and the Force to carry him closer to his enemies. He readied his lightsaber once again when he heard the man say "Scatter!" When the smoke cleared, Vader saw that the man was staying behind while the rest took off after Tyrian. He and the stranger traded blows as red clashed with steel and the hum of metal was slowly halted as the hum of the lightsaber was louder. Both jumped back and held their weapons hanging at their right sides, their breathing quickened and short. Vader held his blade up again, the man following suit. "I sense a great anger in you. You care for the girl greatly." The man said nothing as he struck once again, his attacks slower than before. The Dark Lord blocked with ease. Then he heard quick footsteps approaching from behind him. He turned to see Ren. _A ruse._ He surmised. The girl and Jaune had gone after Tyrian and Ruby Rose. This one stayed behind to assist the man.

Ren slid on his legs, his body still held upright as he shot at Vader, the bullet's ricocheting off his cape. Slashing at his feet, Vader jumped and moved about a metre backwards. The green boy was now beside the drunkard. "You should have gone after Ruby." He scolded, the boy replying with, "You could use some help, Qrow." He faced Vader, "This one is of great evil." Vader lowered his lightsaber, releasing his left hand and holding it at his side.

"You will both perish." He said throwing the lightsaber, forcing them to jump and dodge. While Qrow was in the air, he was grabbed by the Force and brought towards Vader who slashed upward at his centre, burning and scarring his body along the ribs. With a grunt, he fell. The strike would have been deeper, but his Aura softened the burn. "Qrow!" Ren exclaimed, running to his companion's aid. It appeared to be enough to knock him unconscious. Vader slashed at him, but he front-flipped over him and landed at Qrow's side. "Are you alright?!" he asked, pleading him to wake up. Vader held his left hand out and destroyed some of the support beams of the wall of a nearby building, forcing it to collapse on the boy. To Vader's surprise, he held it up, protecting them both. Ren pleaded to Qrow to wake up and help. To finish them off, Vader crushed the rest of the already rotten support beams inside the building, putting more weight on the boy. Soon enough the Dark Lord saw his arms buckle and the wall fell with an ear-shattering thud. Clouds of dust and dirt were kicked up and was satisfied with his work. The Sith Apprentice said nothing as he simply left and followed the direction in which Tyrian had gone.

After some time searching, Vader found the two teenagers fighting Tyrian who had left Ruby Rose on a nearby rock. Vader ignited his lightsaber and joined the fight. The girl swung her hammer, but it was caught by a robotic hand. He was about to slash at her but was tackled to the ground by Jaune. "Go Nora! Get Ruby out of here!" The girl retaliated as she fought with Tyrian, the two trading blows and dodges, "Not without you!" she said. Vader kicked the boy off and he rolled a few feet but regained his balance as he held his sword and shield. "Go!" He exclaimed. Vader looked at the boy before him. "You care a great deal for your friends… yet you left them to perish." The Dark Lord said, taking a single step with his lightsaber at his side. Jaune. Suddenly, the hate was gone from Jaune's eyes and replaced with concern. "Where's Ren?! Qrow?!" Vader simply remained silent and let them assume what had happened. "W-we have to go… Nora-"

"We can't just leave her!"

Vader cut in, "You will not leave." He warned, while making a quick step and placing his lightsaber into her stomach area, just above her skirt. The boy screamed "Nora!" as she lost consciousness and fell. The Dark Lord was sure she was not dead yet, so he was going to finish her off. Tyrian laughed hysterically, keeling over and slapping his knee. Jaune ran to Vader, who turned around just in time to grab him by the throat, his robotic hand audibly creaking as he lifted. "I'll… kill you." He managed to choke out while he struggled against the metallic arm. There was so much rage in his eyes, but they were coated in sadness and sorrow. "You are pathetic." He threw the boy at a tree behind him. He ungracefully slid to the bottom of the trunk, his sword landing beside him.

"Look at what happened to your friends because you are weak," He said, gesturing to Nora's unmoving body. Vader marched to him, looked down on the failed Huntsman and shook his head, "You are a foolish boy, playing in matters that are much larger than yourself." The Dark Lord turned around as the boy's gaze fell to the ground in front of him, his sobs becoming silent. Just then the bush behind the boy rustled and an Ursula stepped out. It's gaze darted between Vader and Jaune, but settled on the latter. With that Vader walked away without turning back. The Grimm stepped towards its prey slowly, as if it was going to savour the meal.

Vader met back with Tyrian and saw that he was gawking at Ruby, his eyes sparkling, his mouth twisted into a smile. The Dark Lord walked over and picked her up as he heard a scream escape from the boy's mouth. Was it despair? Grief? Defiance? It mattered not.

The mission was complete.


	8. Visitor

**Answering guest's question: Qrow's Semblance operates at random, therefore, no one has any control over it. This is seen when he fights Winter in the show – nothing happens. (Also, I completely forgot about it :( So, I might edit something in later down the line).**

 **Chapter 7 – Visitor**

Darth Vader and Tyrian walked further into the forest and waited for Salem to open a portal, the same kind they were first brought to this land with. The green grass on the ground turned a dead brown and turned into a blood-red, taking the shape of a circle. The portal had arrived. Vader stepped through first and brought Ruby Rose with him. He was back in the land of red and Grimm, Salem's castle sitting in the distance. "Let's go~!" Tyrian sang as he emerged from the pool and onto the black soil.

* * *

The two were now in the castle but a presence was felt, one extremely powerful; not Salem. Someone else entirely. It felt familiar. The doors were opened to the chamber. Salem was Cinder who sat in the seat to the Dark Queen's right, her pawns behind her. Salem's eyes were closed, as if she was meditating.

"You have done well, my Apprentice." A shrivelled voice filled the room, following it, a modulated one. "Master?" He looked around questioningly. The room was void of the Emperor. Salem opened her eyes, each glowing crimson. "He is here." Vader could feel his presence as if his Master was standing in the same room. He set Ruby Rose down and dropped to one knee, bowing to the Emperor. This surprised all of Salem's present followers, it was strange to see Vader showing respect to someone. The evil goddess simply smirked; she expected this behaviour, Sidious had told her _much_ about Lord Vader. "Rise, my apprentice." The Sith Emperor said, his voice echoing in the chamber. The black-clad man rose and motioned towards the Huntress. "The girl, as requested." Vader said, allowing his hands to hang at his sides. Salem arose from her seat and walked over to the girl on the table, her long black dress following behind her. Reaching her, she extended a hand and allowed it to hover over the girl's head, no… her eyes. "Very good…" she said, a smile in her voice. "Her power will serve us greatly."

Vader questioned, "And what is her power exactly." She replied without looking, eyes still on the girl, "In due time, Lord Vader. If you want a general idea: She was able to freeze a dragon Grimm, larger than this room." Vader nodded, making a note of the room's size, "Impressive." She turned, "Your master and I were discussing our plans in the coming weeks."

"Weeks?" Vader turned face the room, "I was not aware I would be here for so long." Palpatine snapped, anger in his voice, "You were told to follow my instructions and will continue to follow Salem's orders until I say otherwise." Vader bowed his head, "Yes, Master."

With that the Sith Lord's presence was gone. Salem's followers had not noticed. It seems that only Vader and their leader could hear him. The Dark Lord turned his head towards her, "You know the Force?" He surmised. There was no other explanation for her contacting him in such a way. She turned to him and smiled darkly, "I know all forms of darkness, regardless of the form they take."

"The Jedi?"

"Yes. How they ruled… and how they fell. About how _you_ led the assault."

"The Emperor has told you a great deal…" Vader suspected as he glared into her glowing eyes.

"He has…"

She looked back to the unconscious girl and then to Cinder, "Looks like you have what you wanted, my faithful servant." The Fall Maiden simply grunted and nodded.

Vader changed the subject. He cared not for the quarrels of two children. "What is our next move?" Salem stepped away from the girl and stood in front of Vader. "There are some Huntsman in Mistral who are willing to help what remains of the Ozpin's forces. You will travel to Mistral and kill them. Do not attract too much attention. We still want them to let their guard down and seek out the academy as a safe haven for them. We already have the headmaster there under the supervision of Dr. Watts, his name is Leonardo Lionheart, Headmaster of the Huntsman Academy in Mistral." Vader walked away without saying anything. He had his instructions. "Lord Vader, wait." Salem said, holding her right hand up. As it lowered, Vader turned and saw her holding a brown cloak made for travellers. "It would no do to be recognized. And you have quite the look about you." She said looking at his armour and helmet. "If they know you're in Mistral, it could be problematic." Mentally sighing, he took the robe and made his way to the entrance of the Castle.

Behind him, Tyrian's giggling was heard as he was given congratulations by who he saw as a goddess. This giggling quickly became hysterical laughing as it echoed throughout the palace. The Dark Lord left allowing the laughter to die out and his mission to begin.

The hunt for the Huntsman.


	9. Names

**Chapter 8 – Names**

Vader emerged from the blood red portal – brown cloak in hand - and climbed to the top of a hill overlooking a city. _This must be the city of Mistral_ , the Dark Lord thought. Looking closer at the architecture of the buildings, it became clear that there was a class divide between the residents of the city. It resembled Coruscant in that all the rich and privileged led lives above the people of the poor; both literally and figuratively. The divide was clear: the upper area of the city had more furnished buildings and houses to hold more than one family. At the bottom, within the crevice between the city, splitting the city in two, the poor lived in ruin. Vader could sense the hatred. Overall, the city was a peculiar design, the only thing bridging gap were small bridges here and there, but the largest perched at the peak of the city was an building at the top of the city, as if holding the two mountains together and the city from splitting into two. Throwing the cloak over himself, he put the hood up which – surprisingly – fit over his helmet and broad shoulders. He began walking to the city, his thoughts collecting on who his targets may be.

* * *

He had reached – what Vader guessed was - the main level of the city. The streets were winded all the way up the mountain, splitting into many elaborate directions like a maze. The hood was kept up and the brown cloak draped around his shoulders hiding his large stature. He walked in the direction of the Academy slowly, so that he did not draw too much attention.

While walking there were tourists taking pictures and laughing. Even some animal people - Faunus. He kept his hood low, quickening his pace so that he would reach the academy faster. There did not seem to be Grimm in the area, it was quite peaceful. Before he knew it, his long trek towards the Academy had come to an end as he came across a wide-open courtyard. Approaching a wooden door, he pushed it open and took an elevator to the top floor.

Exiting the elevator, he tore off the cloak and threw it onto a nearby chair. He turned the knob on a door at the far end of the hallway and pushed it open to reveal an office room with a desk in the centre of many large windows. Behind the main desk, stood a man whose face was painted with fear. His face had a long beard and hair to match. He wore a black stylish vest underneath a brown robe-like clothing, variations of light and dark brown as well as gold patterning the clothing. In front of the desk, sat Watts who expressed distaste in the Dark Lord's arrival. Vader walked towards them, scanning the room with his eyes to see anything resembling a trap. To the right, there was a book case filled past the point of it's capacity. Just past that was a lounge area with a single couch surrounding a table with a vase adorned with pink flowers in the centre. The left of the room was had more desks and a ladder that led to the top of the room, which had a small area to fit what the book case could not.

Upon reaching the desk Vader stood, not beside, but just ahead of Watts. "Headmaster." He said, his modulated voice filling the room and making the man in front of him jump, earning a light chuckle from Watts. "Doctor…" He addressed Watts, not removing his eyes from Vader, "What is this… thing… You brought here? Some kind of Gri-" He was cut off by the tall figure in front of him, "I am not a Grimm."

"What are you then?"

"No concern of yours. The mission. Salem said you were to give me names of the Huntsman willing to help this 'Ozpin's' forces."

"W-well, Watts has been… taking care of them. I assumed he was finished."

The Doctor cut in, "I didn't. Our Master has her reasons for not trusting you. And for these reasons, you will have to be watched closely. It seems the closer Qrow Branwen and his allies are, the more anxious and afraid you are." He leaned forward in his chair, "We can't have you slipping up and telling them our plans, can we?" He stood up and began pacing, "I will be watching you from here on out while he kills the rest of the Huntsman." Watts said with a small nod to Vader. "Understood." He said hanging his head in shame. "The names." The Dark Lord demanded. With a heavy finger, the headmaster pushed a button in his desk activating a blue hologram with a list of names. Many of them were crossed out. Watts had been busy, but not busy enough it seemed. There were three names left. They were Zach Hyacinth, Lucero Hawthorn, Stark Silver. Vader scanned the document list and the placed the device back on his belt. "You would do well to remain loyal. Betray us and there will be consequences." The Dark Lord turned around and made his way to the door, then out the hall, grabbing his cloak and pressing the button on the elevator.

Riding it down, Vader clicked a button on the device he downloaded the names onto and the three of them appeared in front of him. The Zack Hyacinth was his first target. The mission was marked as a search and destroy for what was called a 'Nevermore.' Likely another type of Grimm. Its location was a cave to the East of Mistral. Vader would head there.

* * *

Exiting the town, Vader began walking to the possible location of the Huntsman. The map said he had about a forty-five-minute walk ahead of him. It makes sense that this Grimm would have to be dealt with. It likely posed a threat to the city being so close. If Hyacinth was not there, he was likely to have at least reported back to Lionheart to let him know the job was done, however, the registry stated that he was still active, so that was unlikely. If he had been killed by the Nevermore, Vader would still go and try to identify a body. He had to be sure.

Before long, he had reached the cave. Walking in, the cyborg saw complete darkness. The cave was empty. He sensed nothing that signified any form of life. Except for something to the South East, Vader walked towards, according to the map, a small clearing of trees. Reaching it, the Dark Lord saw a lone man standing in the centre, his eyes on the sky. It was likely that this man was Zack Hyacinth. He was holding an axe, which the blade folded inward towards the handle, revealing the barrel of a firearm. Loud three-round bursts were being fired off as a large being in the sky swooped down and attempted to grab him. The Huntsman managed to roll out of the way and begin firing once again. The Talons were grazing on the ground and the wings were beginning to lose feathers.

This pattern had repeated for some time – about twenty whole minutes – until there was a loud crash on the ground. Vader looked to see the Nevermore on the ground, being held down by… the Huntsman? Vader would have been confused, but perhaps his Semblance was simply enhanced strength. Climbing onto it, he swung his axe with all his might and the things head came clean off, its body dissipating into ash. He held his fist in the air, shouting "FINALLY!" He began to scold the pile of ash, "That's right! I beat you! After…" he began to count on his fingers, "TEN hours of straight fighting." He heaved, "Time to go tell Leo that I'm done."

The Dark Lord emerged from the tree line and began making his way to the man. Upon seeing him, he cautiously waved and then squinted, trying to get a better look at the being sauntering towards him. "Headmaster Lionheart sent me." Vader said. The Huntsman replied,

"Ah! I see he was worried about me! Well, seeing as how I'm done here, we can walk back together, friend!"

"Lead the way."

Vader said, gesturing in the direction he came from. He nodded and happily strolled past Vader. Apparently, he was too caught up in the happiness of just having defeated the Grimm because he did not notice Vader's breathing quicken, nor did he see him reach for his weapon. Igniting his lightsaber, the Dark Lord pierced his target's spine through his stomach. He had to thrust with all of his might to break through his Aura, which shattered on impact with the crimson blade. Hyacinth opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Falling to the floor, he stuttered, "W-wha? You… What are you?" He fell onto his side, "You… some kind of bandit?" The hum of his weapon grew harshly as Vader pointed it at the Huntsman's head, "My affiliation spreads much farther than that of a mere bandit." His target grunted, his breathing becoming short.

"Then who… sent you?"

"I already told you who sent me."

His eyes dropped to the ground and then went back to his enemy, "T-that's impossible. He wouldn't betray us! Leo-"

"Has chosen Salem to ensure his safety, he now lives in fear. Very soon all will. The Huntsman in Mistral will fall, much like yourself."

Defiance roared in Hyacinth's eyes, "No!" The lightsaber growled as it was raised high and brought down onto his neck, removing his head. His body went limp the severed part falling with a light thud, his fingers still twitching. Placing his lightsaber back onto his belt, Vader began to make his way back to the city.

There was still much to be done.

 **Fun Fact: The names that I used for the Huntsman were taken from the board that Qrow looks at in Volume 5, Chapter 6: "Known by its Song"**


	10. Howling Winds

**Regarding Humanity in the Star Wars Universe: I never really thought about it. I just sort of thought of them as always there. How they came to be, however, is a different story. Please keep in mind that I haven't seen the Clone Wars (I know, what's wrong with me?) and I** _ **do**_ **know that Anakin speaks with these beings. Personally, what I think is that perhaps these Brother Gods did have a hand in creating Humanity in Star Wars, but I can't say much on it due to limited knowledge on the subject. Maybe I'll look into it!**

 **Until then… here's Vader hunting Huntsmen and Huntresses.**

 **Chapter 9 – Howling Winds**

The next one was Stark Sliver, who was currently on a Search and Destroy mission to hunt Grimm populating the caverns beneath the city. Making his way back to the city, Vader saw that Silver would be the closest one, then, finally, Lucero Hawthorn. Due to being outside the city, it was easy for Vader to access the crime-ridden levels of the city. There were little posts to guard the citizens living in this area. There was barely a gate to keep the wild-life out of the city. Inside, the city looked more akin to a market. Tents lined the streets and shady-looking people operated and shopped at them. Weapons as well as armour were on sale. Likely the belongings from fallen Huntsman who had been plundered by the passing bandits who have taken up residence here. Vader walked through the marketplace, gathering stares of those who managed to peek under the hood of the brown cloak. Looking around to the stalls, there seemed to be no sign of any caverns or Grimm; surmising it was probably deeper in the city, the Dark Lord made his way deeper.

After walking for about ten minutes, he was stopped by a group of five individuals holding weapons not of their own making. Probably looted off guards of the city. "Stop." They ordered. He kept walking despite this. "Hey, we told you to stop." Finally, becoming annoyed by the men and women in front of him, Vader waved his hand and the group was sent to the walls that ran parallel to the street. Nothing was said by anyone. One of the thugs on the right reached for his weapon as Vader passed them. The Dark Lord stopped and peered through his helmet down to the man. The one next to him placed a hand on his back and told him, "No." a look of terror in his eyes. The Sith kept walking. There was no need to kill them. It would cause too much of a ruckus.

After walking for ten more minutes, Vader saw an area restricted to Huntsman and peacekeepers. Metallic bars projected yellow beams the read 'Police Line. Do not cross.' The area restricted was for recent Grimm activity for about a week, according to the couple to Vader's left. Stark Silver had probably taken the job after figuring no one else would. Word that the other Huntsman had fallen was not known. Watts was more efficient that the Dark Lord had thought. The only entrance was blocked, and much time would be wasted if another was to be located. The Sith decided to try his luck at being honest. He walked up to the guards who stood at the beginning of the police line and asked, "May I pass?" keeping his hood low and breathing steady. "Only Huntsman may enter, sir… Please come back when the Grimm have been cleared by the Hunstress inside." The officer told him and went back to watching the crowd.

"When did she enter?"

"Yesterday. There is a _lot_ of Ursula." He said with a light chuckle.

"Yes, I am here to assist her. I am a Huntsman who was sent by the Headmaster of Haven Academy."

"I see, can you show me your identification?" Vader shifted, pressing on his.

"Stark Silver is inside alone. If you'd like, you can call Lionheart and he can confirm that I am the one he sent." The guard looked over his shoulder and just glanced at the entrance of the cave.

"Alright fine, I want to get this done quickly anyway."

He threw a thumb over his shoulder and allowed Vader through. "Hey, before I let you go in, can I have your name?" Without stopping, the cloaked cyborg entered the cave, leaving the officer with slouched shoulders.

The cavern was littered with mining equipment. Pickaxes and hammers lay scattered near the walls of the cave. As he got deeper, Vader began to see piles of ash scattered throughout the cave. Silver had been busy. Pushing the hood off, Vader guided his lightsaber to his hand with the Force and began walking deeper. He saw a wheelbarrow holding many crystal-like objects. They were not Kyber crystals; there was no Force energy coming from them. He reached a large open area the split into three different tunnels. Walking into the first from the left, there was nothing as it did not extend far and ended after the curve to the left. The second had more piles of ash and a long corridor, more promising than the last. Something roared outside the cave catching Vader's attention. He ignited his lightsaber and turned to face the Ursula which sat in the centre of the cavern. The Dark Lord emerged and saw three behind the larger one in front. This one looked larger and more dangerous. It was the Alpha to be sure. It scraped the ground beneath it and growled as Vader felt its raw anger. He placed two hands on the hilt of his weapon and assumed a defensive stance, keeping the blade pointed forward and towards his enemies. The first to attack was the larger one, staying a safe distance away, but still slashing at the Dark Lord who lunged backwards. As he did, his lightsaber growled as he swung violently from the left to the right, taking cutting through the thing's hand. Then the one to Vader's left launched itself forward only to be pushed with the Force. It landed on it's back, right where it had jumped. The armoured man turned his lightsaber backwards to deliver a killing blow to the creature only to be clawed at again, forcing him to dodge backwards, now more to the left, away from the opening he had emerged.

Flipping onto the scene was a young woman who caught the attention of Vader and the Grimm. "You're fighting me!" She said in a hardy voice, pointing her weapons at the dark beings. As if to match her name, her hair was ear-length. Black with silver stripes running down the sides of her face, leading up to the top of her head, where the silver and black mixed. She wore a short cape the draped over her shoulders but stopped at her lower back. Her upper body had a simply black vest over a grey shirt, her lower three-quarter shorts, the rest of her legs being covered by her long black boots. Her eyes, which had a gleam of excitement in them, were a light sky blue. Her weapons were two daggers. The one in her right hand was held backwards, a gun barrel also acting as a handle, pointed at the end of the handle. The other dagger had a gun barrel from the handguard, pointing to the front of her.

She fired her weapons, making sparks fly on the Grimm to the right. It roared as she landed on the ground. Turning away from Vader, it began running at the Huntress. The one farthest to the back joined the other. He still had the attention of the other two, Alpha included. Vader used this distraction as an advantage. He threw his lightsaber at the face of the Ursula, slicing through it's head, killing it instantly. The Alpha looked and saw the source of the harsh hum that the lightsaber emitted and became enraged when it saw what had happened. It turned to face the Dark Lord fully and began charging. Hovering over the Grimm's anticipated path, Vader was able to avoid the attack with ease and safely landed on the other side of it, his back now facing the Silver. The Alpha Grimm stomped towards Vader as he extended his left hand. Soon, it was levitating in the air and tossed at the wall to the right. Stunned, it looked like it would lay there for a few minutes, to make sure, Vader crushed a few rocks atop the cavern ceiling forcing them to fall and trap the Alpha Ursula underneath. Its limbs were still visible as was its head; it would not be trapped for long.

The Dark Lord turned around and held his lightsaber to face the Grimm. "Who're you?" A voice spoke, it was Silver. He remained silent as he watched the Grimm. It was aware he was there, but kept its gaze trained on the Huntress. "Well?" She said impatiently. "Lionheart sent me." He said simply, wanting the conversation to end. She looked him up and down, "Yeah, right. You don't even look like a Huntsman. How do I know you aren't working with the people who attacked Beacon? Or the White Fang?" Vader sighed, "Just fight, girl." The Grimm snarled. The Huntress continued, "No. I don't trust you. You have the vibe of something… wrong."

Their conversation was cut short when the Grimm leapt at Silver, but stopped, landing quickly and using the momentum to leap back at Vader who turned with it as it jumped past him, allowing it to pass. He slashed at it, cutting it's right paw off. Landing in an ungraceful way, it limped over to the Alpha, which breathed hard as it struggled under the rocks.

There was a look in the larger one's eyes; the Sith Lord had inflicted this look on many beings. Shared commonly amongst the Rebellion. In every battle he had ever fought. 'Run' was what the Alpha was telling the younger Grimm. The Ursula protested, and the elder struggled still. The younger one persisted, pushing some of the rocks off its ally.

Vader was sickened by such a display of affection between the animals, but it gave him a chance to do what he had to. With the Grimm preoccupied, he could kill his target. He stepped in her direction. She said, "Ya know, I still don't believe you. There's something off about you." He lowered his weapon and turned to her,

"If you are paranoid, call Lionheart and speak to him."

"I would, but no reception in here."

She pointed with her weapon at Vader's lightsaber. "Interesting weapon."

He said nothing in response. Now was his chance. With a zip, his lightsaber was sheathed, and his left hand extended in front of him. Soon she began floating, gasping for air. Vader discarded her weapons, lifting only two fingers from his hilt and tossing them to the side with the Force. A small breeze was felt in the cave and the girl began glowing grey. _Aura,_ was all Vader thought. These were not her final moments. Vader felt a light draft fill the cavern.

Suddenly, Vader was thrown back. He landed on his back and looked up to see Silver grabbing her weapons and coughing. He got to his feet. "My ass Lionheart sent you. You're here to kill me!" Vader tilted his head to the side and remembered what the droid had told him. Her Semblance was something that needed to be accounted for. She began firing as her Aura regenerated slowly. The Dark Lord dodged to the right, igniting his weapon and walking towards the girl, protecting himself from her shots. He picked up two rocks from the Alpha Grimm and hurled it at her. She dodged the first but was not so quick with the second. It his her in the shoulder and her Aura was nearly broken.

The Alpha Grimm was now up and ready to fight with the Ursula. It ran at Silver who jumped out of the way and fired at it as she was in the air. The smaller Grimm targeted Vader. He engaged and began dodging and countering the creature with swift, quick strikes. Before long it was on the floor, its limbs and body burnt from the lightsaber's marks. He brought the lightsaber down on its head and killed it. Silver was still jumping around, tiring herself out while avoiding the strikes. She was beginning to lose her breath and her Aura was not regenerating due to the pace of her movements and the occasional strike from her enemy. Vader simply waited until one would kill the other. After a few minutes, she changed her tactic and propelled herself from the wall and onto the things face, gouging its eyes. She landed and was met with the giant claw of the beast and could not dodge in time and had three large scratches along her chest and stomach. The Huntress stumbled backwards clutched her wounds. The Dark Lord threw his lightsaber in the Alpha Grimm's spine, making it flail, spinning so that it faced him. He picked up a rock that was on the ground from when he trapped it and hurled it at the creature. The momentum knocked it off it's feet and it slammed against the wall, becoming ash as soon as it finished squirming when it hit the ground. Vader guided his lightsaber, now closed, back to his hand and placed it on his belt. Silver bled and kept her hands on the wounds. She tried to speak but ended up coughing blood. After spitting it out, she managed, "You… you bastard…" Vader wanted nothing more than to end this and get out of the cave. So, he did. "Your Aura cannot save you now. Nor your Semblance." She glared at Vader, trying to get the ability to work. Silver coughed up some more blood and then said, "I guess I can't use it too much. There isn't much wind in the cave anyway. But all I need is a small bit, then I can convert it into raging winds, throwing anything around." The Dark Lord extended his hand and choked the girl once again. She began to claw and grip at her throat, her eyes watered and blood dripped from her mouth. An audible crack was heard, and Vader knew his mission was complete.

He exited the cave and walked past the officers, telling them, "The cave is safe. Silver did not survive." They tried to get his attention, but he moved through the crowd and down the street from which he came.

Next was Lucero Hawthorn, his final target. He had pushed a button on a communicator to Admiral Elatar, "Admiral." He said, the imperial officer responded quickly, but surprisingly calmly. Perhaps he was getting used to Vader. "Yes, my Lord?" he said.

"Send the scouting droid to search the records at Mistral academy. I want to know the abilities, weapons and Semblance of Lucero Hawthorn."

"Of course, sir. The droid is on its way."

Vader closed the communicator and began making his way out of the poverty-ridden area.

* * *

 **For those wondering, I made her Semblance controlling the speed of wind, regardless of the current speed or how much. As long as there is wind, she can control it.**


	11. Back Alley Brawl

**Fizz, thanks for the review! As for lightsabers, they don't completely avoid Aura, it's more like through Vader's sheer force (no pun intended), it breaks on contact with his weapon due to his strength. He's a badass :D**

 **Vader's approaches his last target!**

 **Chapter 10 – Back Alley Brawl**

Working up the city, Vader found himself inside the richer area once more. The paved roads gave way to his next target, Lucero Hawthorn. The mission he accepted was listed under 'Bounty,' that is, he would retrieve money owed from one to another and take it if necessary. No bloodshed, no need to draw one's weapon. Or so he thought.

Vader would find out where he would be headed and eliminate him swiftly. He had no way of knowing where Hawthorn would be or what he would be doing. The droid should be returning soon with the abilities of his last two targets, so he decided to wait and at least find him. He pulled out his communicator and ordered the droid, "Track down Hawthorn and give me his location. Then resume your duties of reconnaissance." The droid responded, "Yes, sir." He sat down on a bench at the side of the road. The sun was beginning to wane to the West, painting the sky a bright orange. Vader looked around and saw that the sidewalk was empty. The rich and wealthy, who populated this area, would likely be enjoying their comfortable lives inside their homes, where nothing happened. One of these rich people would be the family who hired Hawthorn. There would be no need to kill them if they did not see him. He would wait until their business was concluded and then move to strike Hawthorn down.

The droid's voice came over the communicator, "Sir?" it said,

"Where is Hawthorn?"

"He is currently on his way to a bar."

"Good. Establish visual surveillance."

It buzzed, and a small hologram appeared, allowing Vader to see. The man he was after had tied-back hair as green as his eyes were orange. He wore a plain white dress shirt and brown slacks. On his back was his weapon. A simple two-handed sword, in which the blade folded and became a close-range shotgun-like firearm. Hawthorn had a green marker over his face. He was smoking a death stick, by the looks of it. The green marker had information underneath. His Semblance was listed as something rather peculiar. He was able to control the gravity of an object or person. This information would be useful if the plan did not go as he wanted.

After a few minutes, he finally went inside. The droid whispered into the communicator, "Should I move closer, sir?" Vader denied, "No. Maintain position, tell me when he is coming back to his contacts residence. I will wait and kill him when he concluded business." The droid agreed, and Vader closed the communicator.

* * *

Half an hour passed before something happened, the Sith opened the visual feed to see a man coughing up blood on pieces of glass on the window that had broken. Hawthorn calmly opened the door and crouched down next to the man. He said something and picked up the man's wallet. Removing the currency, he winked and threw it back down onto his body and placed the money in his pocket. The droid whispered, "That is currency, sir." Vader mentally rolled his eyes. "I know. Follow him." He ordered. The droid followed and led to the large house. It was about five hundred metres from Vader's current location and the droid advised, "You might want to get moving, sir." Vader sighed, "I am."

By the time he had arrived, Hawthorn was already underway. "Droid. Where is he?" Vader demanded. "He's currently going East. One hundred metres away from you. Should I stop him, Lord Vader? I have an electric shock that is both lethal and non-lethal, I-"

"No. I will find him. Fly overhead and warn me of any incoming guardsman or other Huntsman."

"Yes, sir."

Vader began walking down the road, the cloak fluttering in the wind. This street had a few people on it. A couple in the doorway of a dust shop to the left, a teenaged boy who was sitting on a rooftop, and an elderly couple. The boy had the best vantage point. Vader would have to wait to kill his target, discreetly. Somewhere quiet. He kept following along. Waiting for him to take a more discreet path. Finally, after walking for ten minutes, he moved down an alleyway. He was about halfway down the alleyway when he stopped and turned to face the Dark Lord. "Looks like I've got an admirer." he said with a strong, posh accent. "We have a common ally, Hawthorn. Lionheart sent me to-" Vader's booming voice that ricocheted off the walls was cut off by his target. "No. He usually tells me when he sends pets."

"I am not a pet."

"Sure, you're not. You're different, right? You've got _ambition_ and all that jazz, right."

"You misunderstand."

"I'll give him a call, then"

"Do what you must."

He pulled out his Scroll and began dialing Lionheart's contact. After a few rings, the headmaster picked up. "Hey, Leonardo. Got a guy here, says he's sent by you?" He lowered the Scroll and yelled over to Vader, "You got a name?" The cyborg clutched his left hand to choke him, keeping it low, at his side. His target began to move his neck around, as if to clear his throat, and adjust the collar of his shirt, but it made no difference. Hawthorn began to claw at his throat as he dropped his Scroll. He desperately tried to reach his weapon, but Vader took it out of it's sheath and pulled it towards him. Slowly, Vader began to rise into the air. He was using his Semblance; it appeared he could control gravity of certain objects. Vader persisted and kept his grip tight. His ascent slowly came to a stop and his was under the mercy of normal gravity again. Landing without a problem, Vader saw that the target would soon be dead and his mission complete. He began floating again. "Enough of this." The Dark Lord said. He swiftly picked up Hawthorn's blade and hurled it with the Force. It firmly planted itself in his head and the rest of his body went limp, save for a few twitches. Vader looked up and down the alley. No one saw a thing as blood began to pour out onto the alley ground and stain his target's shirt.

The Sith Apprentice made his way back to Lionheart and Watts.


	12. Secrets Told

**Guest: It's okay, I'm going to eventually watch it. My Netflix still has it! Also, thanks for the info, it may prove to be useful in the future.**

 **WarGlory: you flatter me! I try to make Vader as accurate as possible just to make him feel like the Vader we all know; brutal, blunt, and (essentially,) takes no shit. You'll see that the next few chapters!**

 **Chapter 11 – Secrets Told**

In the academy once more, Vader pushed open the doors to Lionheart's office, placing the brown cloak onto a couch to the right. "The Huntsmen and Huntresses have been taken care of." The headmaster gave a heavy sigh and stared into a drink in his hand. "I will report to Salem and receive further instructions." Watts chimed in, "Yes, you should go. Qrow and the younger Huntsmen should be entering the city soon." Confusion and questions took Vader's mind. Surely, they were dead, judging by the wounds he inflicted. The girl was stabbed in the stomach by his lightsaber, Ren and Qrow were crushed by a building, and lastly, Jaune was eaten by a Grimm. He inquired to the doctor.

"They are alive? How." Vader demanded to know.

"It appears that something has kept them alive. Perhaps a Semblance? How fatal were the wounds you inflicted?"

"I dropped a building on Ren and Qrow. The one called Nora was impaled by my weapon and Jaune was finished off by a Grimm." Watts clicked his tongue.

"Well, obviously not. They are all going to be walking into this city without so much as a scratch." Watts leaned on Lionheart's desk. The Dark Lord inquired further.

"Should we not kill them? As the come into the city?"

"Unfortunately, that would draw much unneeded attention. They are close to the city, practically minutes away from coming in." He informed. He pushed off the desk and nodded to Vader.

"Anyway, you should be on your way, I'll contact Lady Salem and she'll open a portal outside the city. Stay off the main roads, stick to the alleys." Vader walked towards the doors, grabbing his cloak but stopped in front of them. "If we do not kill them swiftly, they will be a problem. They may be children, and the man a drunkard, but they _are_ quite formidable." Watts peered over his shoulder looking at the headmaster, "Our man on the inside has a plan to deal with them." Vader opened the door, "It had better be one that you _know_ will work, Lionheart. For your sake." With that, the black-clad figure entered the hallway, leaving the headmaster and the doctor to themselves once again.

* * *

He left the city and avoided the main roads. Eventually, after about a half hour of sneaking, he made it to the outskirts of the city and a portal was opened and soon enough he was back in Salem's Castle.

Stepping through the front door, he felt a great amount of distress and pain. Suffering. It was to be expected, given the nature of Salem's activities, however, this was not present when he had arrived. Moving deeper into the building, Vader was walking the same way to the main hall. He was just in front of it, having to make another right when he felt the source of the distress. He stood in front of a black wooden door, with a simple grey knob.

Pushing open the door, he saw something that would have made even the fiercest of warriors wince. Inside the room was the girl Ruby Rose. She was breathing hard, her small chest rising and falling with each short breath. Each of her arms and legs were strapped to a table, which some sort of black substance was pouring out from underneath. From underneath the table, the substance was crudely connected to veins in her arms and legs, digging into her skin. She could barely move. Her face was attached to another creature. It floated above the ground and resembled a jellyfish. Its head was clear, and tentacles trailed below it. Or they would have, as right now they were attached to Rose's head. Her eyes were covered by the red wire-thin tentacles.

Her mouth was gagged by a simply cloth rag. Despite all of this, the worst thing was the temples of her head. The jellyfish-like creature was connecting its tentacles to them, crudely digging in the same as her arms and legs. The rest were either wrapped around her head, taking hold of her eyes or her neck. She breathed hard, small cries only being allowed to seep through the rag.

What was the point of all this? Why would this get Rose on Salem's side? As Vader approached he noticed the substance shifted from under the table. He peered underneath and saw that it was a Grimm. It looked back at him. "Enjoying what you see?" A young voice man's voice chimed in from behind him. He turned his head and saw the girl known as Cinder, behind her were her servants, Emerald and Mercury. She stopped beside Vader, on his right, Emerald informed, "She says she enjoys this." Vader questioned, "What is it doing." Cinder walked towards the being and began petting it. Mercury explained, "It's slowly degrading her lifeforce, her will to live and fight. But just as quickly putting it back." She moved her hand up to where the other creature met her temples. "These are playing her worst fears. Over and over." The Fall maiden said with a sly smile, in her scarred, scratchy voice. Emerald expressed concern at her speaking, "Cinder, maybe you shouldn't talk too much. Your throat and vocal chords need to heal." Cinder bit back, "I'm fine. Won't talk _too_ much." She looked back at the girl, "It's probably about her friends and family being torn apart." Vader still calmly stared at the trapped girl. "What is Salem's goal? Destroy her mind?" Cinder stepped away from the girl, "Precisely. She wants to break her. Make her a puppet for our doing." She turned back around to face Vader, but her eyes looked past him and widened. She bowed. "Cinder, I told you to give her a break." Salem said, slight anger in her voice. Without being ordered to, the Grimm underneath the table let go of Rose and scurried out and took its place on the wall to the right. It had five long, thin legs, two on each side and one on the back. Its head was long and thin, four eyes dotting its head from the top to the mouth, which made up the lower quarter of its face. Its mouth was filled with fangs that had tentacles hanging out of it. The other creature detached its tentacles and unwrapped her neck.

The girl's eyes were widened as they were probably not used to the light, despite the room being quite dim. They landed on Salem and Vader – fear in them, - then on Cinder – evoking anger, but just as quickly as it had come they reverted to fear. "Let her speak." Salem ordered. Cinder removed the gag. Rose began pleading, "Please no more! I c-can't watch anymore! Please let me go." Salem's head tilted in a false, motherly way. "Are you going to work for us?" She ignored the Grimm lady and focused on Vader, "My friends. Are they alright?" Vader looked around the room and ignored her question. "You care for them. And we can use that." He slowly walked towards her, "Your care and compassion make you easy to hurt and thus easy to control. If I want you to comply, I will hurt your friends if you don't. Or perhaps…" he stopped close to her face, "Your sister." Ruby began shaking her head slowly, "Please no. Don't hurt her." Salem interjected, "Will you serve me?"

Defiance filled her eyes, then sadness. She hung her head, "…No." Salem ordered again, "Put the gag back on." She began to shake her head violently as Emerald approached, who took the gag from Cinder. Salem nodded, and the Grimm scurried back to the table. "No." Vader said. Everyone stopped. He explained, "If you break her too early, your plan will not come to fruition. Allow her to regain her bearings and just when she thinks she can make it through, resume." He stopped and looked into Ruby's Silver Eyes, "Think of how much it will hurt your sister. The horror she will experience when I tell her about this." He said gesturing to the five-legged Grimm on the floor. With that Vader left the room. Salem nodded to the Grimm and the larger one placed itself back on the wall and the smaller one simply floated close to Rose. Her cries and pleas filled the room.

The Dark Lord waited in the main hall for the rest of them, standing at the foot of the table. The doors opened, and Salem came in first, Cinder second, Mercury and Emerald last. "I can understand if you wanted to continue, my dear," Salem told her underling, "But we will see if this way is more efficient." Cinder simply nodded. They were silent as they made their way to their seats. After about a minute, Mercury broke the silence, "So…" he looked at Vader, "What's your story?" Vader remained silent, allowing the conversation to die. After about thirty seconds, he spoke to Salem, "What is it you would have me do now?" Salem folded her hands.

"We will wait for Adam Taurus to gain control of the White Fang and then we will trap the Huntsman who are trying to wither my forces."

"You expect me to wait."

"Yes. There is much to discuss."

"My efforts are better spent elsewhere. If my Master wishes to have me here, it is _not_ to keep you company."

Cinder clenched her fist, Vader took note. "Do you wish to say something, Fall Maiden?" She placed her hands in her lap and spoke, "Yes." She turned to Vader, staring into the black pools of his helm. She hailed Emerald over and whispered in her ear. Emerald stood up and crossed her arms, "She says that you should to respect us. We-" Vader cut in, "None of you have done anything to earn such a thing." Mercury stepped forward, "Watch your tone." The Dark Lord looked at the boy, "Perhaps you would silence me?"

"Shouldn't be too hard."

"There are many already dead who would argue otherwise. Do you wish to lose more than your legs?"

Mercury looked to his legs, then back at Vader, "How the hell did you-?" Cinder cut in, "That's enough." Salem turned to Cinder and her companions, "Leave us." They obliged, each of them shooting hostile glances at Vader.

After they left, Salem stood up and began walking behind her chair. "I know many things, Vader. The Force, the creatures of Grimm…" She stopped and looked at him, "But you. You are something made up of so much hatred. Having seen both sides of the Force." The Dark Lord looked at her. Now she had is full attention. She continued, staring out the window, "You betrayed those you once called frie-" Vader interrupted, "Enough." He walked to his left, closing in on the window, but still facing her. "How much has the Emperor told you?" A small smile told Vader what came next. He had a feeling what it was. "He told me enough…" She turned and faced him now, "Anakin." The window next to him cracked, just as his patience. He took a step towards her slowly. "Unwise, Salem." And then another. "This is your only warning. Do not call me by that name again. For your sake as well as your minions." She faced him, sternness in her voice, "Is that a threat, Lord Vader?" He told her, "A mere warning." He then turned and began walking to the door, but stopped, still facing the black wood. "I do not give threats." He looked over his shoulder, "I simply act." With that he began walking again.

Salem called to him once he was at the door. He stopped, "The others do not know." Anyone else would have thanked her, or told her that they were appreciative, but Vader simply said nothing.

He opened the door and took off down the hall passing the three underlings in the hallway.


	13. Loss, Anger, and Rage

**Fizz: As to why Ruby is being coerced to join them; Salem said that she wanted Ruby alive to Tyrian, I can only assume that she wanted her for a reason such as this. It was never stated in the show, but so I had to make something up! :D**

 **Also, yeah... Salem made a bad call. Most people in the Empire would be killed if Vader knew that that person knew his true name.**

 **More stuff following Vader's life in this chapter. Raw anger and rage! Hope you guys like it!  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 12 – Loss, Anger, and Rage**

Vader sauntered through the Castle, allowing his thoughts to collect. Salem knew more about him than he had thought. How much did his Master tell her? What was the purpose of giving her this information? Was he grooming her to be his new apprentice? No. She wanted to rule this planet, not serve someone else. To be lower than another was not her goal. Then another thought dawned on Vader: Perhaps she was to kill him once he had outlived his usefulness under orders from the Emperor? His loyalty was to his Master. It could not be wavered by children serving a Queen. He pushed the thought of betrayal away.

It seems the children employed by Salem misplace their bravery. If anyone under the Empire were to speak out against him in such a way, he would kill them without a second thought. However, this is not the Empire. Right now, Vader was instructed by his Master to serve Salem in anyway she deems necessary. Cinder and her servants seemed to question Vader's authority. If they were to step out of line again, he would teach them to stay in.

He stopped by a window and gazed into the never-ending reaches of wherever on the planet he was. His thoughts then dwelled on Ruby Rose. If Salem would allow it, he would get this Yang Xiao Long and force the girl to submit. The Silver-eyed Huntress was the leader of their team at Beacon academy and had two other teammates, Blake Belladonna, and Weiss Schnee. If Vader could get all of them, he would be able to 'persuade' Rose with ease. However, if they were anything like their team leader, they would be a force to be reckoned with. He felt a tremor in the Force. Someone had activated their Semblance? He spun around and saw the shape of a person down the hall. Whoever it was, was covered in shadow. He began walking towards them.

Starting down the hall, he began to speak, "I was not aware that anyone else was in this castle." They stepped towards him, "Who ar-" What he saw was impossible. Before him stood the woman known as Padmé Amidala. But she was dead. "Who are you?" he said. "It's me, my love." He protested, "That's impos-" She hushed him, and placed her hand on his face. Tears filled her eyes. "What happened to you?" She asked him. He hung his head in shame, shaking it slowly, "I wanted to save you."

"Why didn't you?" She said, her voice slightly angry, but still overtaken by sorrow.

"I thought I was helping you… By going to the Dark Side, I thought I might be able to save you." Vader assured, his voice filled with regret. He shook his head. "I wanted to save you _and_ our child."

"Why didn't you save me?" She persisted, her cries now becoming hysterical.

He met her eyes and took her hands in his, "I found our son. He is alive. And I will rally him to my side and-" Tears were rolling down her face now as she persisted, "Why didn't you save me?" He rested his forehead against hers tried to hush her. "I wanted to. But in my anger… I…" She sobbed, and he sighed in his own shame. "I killed you…" he said, however, his head filled with another thought. Hope in his voice and eyes, he rose his head and assured her, "I can make this right, Padmé! I can save our son and give him what I should have given you." She sobbed still, "Why didn't you save me, Vader?"

He stepped away, her hands drifting out of his. Confusion filled his voice, "What?" Padmé persisted, "You didn't save me." He stopped, "What did you call me?" Anger enveloped his mind, and he choked her with the Force.

Padmé had never called him Vader.

She slowly floated upward, clutching her neck. " _You are not her_." He said, his voice ripe with anger and rage. 'Padmé' shimmered and Emerald was left in her place.

Vader's rage increased, as did the intensity of his grip. "You are a _fool_ to toy with me." There was movement to his right, at the far end of the hall. He drew his lightsaber, but it remained sheathed, and blocked arrows made of glass lifting only his first two fingers and his thumb. He launched them back his attacker and ignited his lightsaber, allowing the vicious growl to fill the hallway as well as the blood red glow. The shards flew past Cinder, who launched the arrows, and Mercury jumped into the fray, trying to get Vader to drop their ally. He jumped high in the air and fired his weapons. Boosting him into the ceiling, which he extended his arms to reverse the momentum and launch himself to Vader. His target saw this coming as he swung widely and upward. Mercury fired at the ground just in time to allow himself to flip over Vader. He was about to attack when the cyborg closed his lightsaber and thrusted both hands at the floor, throwing both Emerald and Mercury back. The former hit the wall and was out cold, the latter rolled backwards and landed on his hands and knees. He twisted himself, and now lied with his head towards Vader. He shot, propelling himself with great velocity. Vader saw this coming and levitated himself so that the boy could not reach him. Now Mercury and Cinder were on the same side of the hallway. "How foolish of you." Vader stated as he landed. The Fall Maiden aimed a glass arrow cloaked in flame and Mercury stood on his one of his metal legs, the other raised to shoot. "Personally, we don't think you are fit to serve Salem. You are a liability." She coldly told him, as she aimed the arrow at his helmet. Vader lowered his lightsaber and allowed it to hang at his side. He was not intimidated by children. His free hand gestured to their companion on the floor, "I beg to differ." Vader continued and questioned, "Salem would oppose me?" Cinder answered, "No," She had to maneuver her neck slightly to speak, - it was still hard for her - "If we bring her your head, she might begin to see me as worthy. Finally, being able to control my powers after that humiliation at Beacon!" Vader remarked, "You face a Sith Lord. You will be left with, not only the humiliation, but also fear and horror."

"Hm…" A sly smile stretched across her lips, "Who's Padmé?" This earned no reaction from Vader, he had seen enough. He replied, "Was that supposed to wound me, Fall Maiden? Does your pathetic defeat at the hands of a _child_ not hurt more?" Her smile faded, and she grit her teeth, an insane amount of anger in her eyes. She let the arrow fly and Mercury began sprinting at the Dark Lord. Cinder shot another, and Vader blocked with his lightsaber, then throwing his weapon at her. She took cover behind a pillar on the wall as he called it back to deal with Mercury, who was approaching fast. The Sith retrieved his lightsaber and struck horizontally, forcing his enemy to duck. With a grunt he punched Vader in the kneecap, only to be the one feeling the pain. "What the hell?" Vader picked him up with the Force and began walking towards Cinder, now having a shield against her projectiles. Mercury gasped for air and raised his legs to shoot. Vader countered by twisting them to face the window. With a grunt, Mercury felt his legs raised so that the barrels were facing the window. The Dark Lord brought down a heavy strike onto his legs cutting both off and shattering his Aura. He tossed him to the side, landing below window. "Your Aura will not protect you." Vader stated.

He was close to Cinder now. Her eyes began to glow a bright orange as she raised her right hand to set Vader ablaze. In response, Vader Force Pushed her towards the wall. She hit her right shoulder but was able to roll and get to her feet again. "You are fools to face me." Cinder extended her arms and hieroglyphics appeared in front of her, made of flame. She then reeled her arms in so that her right hand was at her left shoulder and vice versa, then she shot them back out, producing a blaze and a shockwave that sent Vader down the hall. He landed on his back. "Die." She ordered, her tone dripping with rage. To Vader's surprise, her left arm stretched the entire length of the hall and grabbed hold of his neck. The base of his helmet began to crack, he heard his breathing change. " _Die!_ " she said again. The Dark Lord's hand moved towards Mercury's decapitated leg and guided it towards her. She was too caught up in the taking of Vader's life that she had not noticed that the leg of her comrade was now facing her. Vader twitched his finger and it fired at the left side of her upper body. Her hand shot back to her and disappeared behind her sleeve. Her Aura showed as an orange light danced around her body. The Dark Lord got to his feet and drew his lightsaber, igniting it once more. His injured breathing filled the hallway. He heard a click behind him. As he turned, he was met with a bullet from Emerald's firearm. It grazed his helmet, not damaging his face, but his lens, allowing his right eye to be seen. He glared back at the girl on the floor and raised his weapon over head. Just when he was about to bring it down onto her, a new voice entered the conversation. "Vader, enough!" It was Salem.

"Be grateful for my mercy." He said to Emerald. Vader began walking down the hall, "Lord Vader, I would like a word." Vader replied without looking at her, "No. I would like a word with _you_." He stopped adjacent to the Dark goddess. "I ask that you keep your servants in line." He gazed, and her blood red eyes met his corrupt sickly yellow ones, "I may not be as merciful next time." Salem bit back, "You seem to forget that I am the one whom you serve." Vader turned to her now,

"First, make no mistake, Salem, my place is with the Emperor. No matter the orders, no matter the temporary placement, I will always serve _him_."

"So, you think you have the authority to attack my servants?" She demanded to know, anger in her voice as it rose in volume. Vader retaliated with just as much anger.

"Your _servants_ , initiated the attack and provoked me. Ask them if you must." His gaze floated to Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury. "Invoking the anger of a Sith Lord does not come lightly."

Salem turned to her underlings, "Is this true?" Cinder hung her head in shame. Salem persisted, " _Cinder_ , is this true?" she nodded slowly. Vader told the dark goddess, "I am not looking to punish them. But I _do_ want them kept under a more watchful eye." This earned a glare from Cinder and Vader turned around walking past Salem and stopping about two windows down. "Salem, if this happens again, I cannot guarantee their safety." Salem simply nodded. "Lord Vader, was _that_ a threat." Vader simply said, "A warning." And walked down the hall.

With that Vader left. Salem was telling her underlings about how disappointed she was with her servants.

"Elatar." He spoke into the communicator. "Yes, my Lord?" the Admiral answered.

"Prepare a ship to come get me."

"Of course, sir. It's on the way."

Vader found Salem's co-operation was strange. A being like her enjoyed the amount of power she had. If she wanted she probably could have killed Vader due to his current state. Perhaps she is fulfilling specific instructions from the Emperor? Or does she have her own agenda. His mind flowed towards betrayal again and a thought came to his mind before he could push it away: Did the Emperor have his own agenda alongside Salem? Did he want his apprentice to be killed on this planet? He pressed on, keeping these thoughts in mind.

It is unknown.


	14. Return

**Chapter 13 – Return**

One week had passed on Remnant while Vader was getting his suit repaired and making adjustments to the Empire's method of conquering the planet. Troopers were on the way to assist in his mission. The Dark Lord was unimpressed with the disorder of Salem's ranks. Vader was bringing a small battalion of 100 stormtroopers. The troops had six elite leaders from his 501st legion, or, as they were more commonly known, 'Vader's Fist.' The Dark Lord did not need to worry about the troops he selected. They followed orders without question and had extended knowledge of advanced tactics.

The bacta tank emptied and Vader had his suit put back on him. The damages sustained were gone and the suit was back in full-functioning order. He went to the wall of the room and clicked a button on a panel, which connected him to the Emperor. After waiting for the call to connect, a blue hologram of the Emperor filled the room. "My Master." Vader said, bowing.

"Lord Vader, have your preparations been completed?"

"Yes. We leave for Remnant soon. If I may express concern regarding the mission?"

"You may."

"Salem know a great deal about the Dark Side of the Force. How has she obtained this knowledge?"

"Salem is an ancient being. She has lived on the planet of Remnant for many, many generations. It is not folly to believe that she would come to know the Force after all this time."

Vader went silent, he was pondering his earlier suspicions. He pushed it away, "…She knows of Anakin Skywalker. How does she know?" Palpatine was silent for about five seconds.

"When she requested that I send someone, she wanted to know all about them. 'An act of trust' she said! It does not matter Anakin Skywalker is dead; you killed him along with the Jedi Order." He stated, chuckling at the last sentence.

"Furthermore, I do not believe that the planet of Remnant serves a purpose for planetary warfare. Is there something on the planet that you want?"

"Yes. The warriors of the world would be excellent aids to our fight against the rebellion. These Huntsman and Huntresses can be powerful tools to have on our side. When they submit, the Rebellion will be crushed. Salem tells me you captured the Silver-Eyed girl Ruby Rose."

"I have. Salem is forcing her to work alongside us. However, she remains persistent."

"She will break eventually. I have only heard of a small amount about her power, however, it was enough to subdue the Fall Maiden. She is of great interest to me, however, if she becomes a threat, put her down. That is an order. Be on your way, Lord Vader."

"Yes, my Master."

With that, Vader was off to the hangar where he met with the battalion of stormtroopers who would accompany him. He entered the hangar and met Admiral Elatar at the entrance. "The troops are waiting for you and your personal briefing… Also, the droid is accompanying you." The small droid flew up beside Vader, "Lord Vader, sir! Ready to serve." The Dark Lord hid his annoyance, "Very good, follow me. Elatar, back to your post." The Admiral agreed and left quickly.

Vader approached the group of troopers who all stood at attention. He spoke without stopping or even looking at them, "I will give you the details on the ship. Move." They obliged and entered the ship. The 501st legion rode with Vader, and the others occupied the other transport ships. There were four seats on each side, and a cockpit at the front. An officer filled the seat and waved at them as they entered. Each trooper took a seat and placed their weapons on their laps, backs or the floor of the ship. Before long, they were on course to Remnant. Not one of the occupants had said anything. That is until Vader gave them their briefing, connecting his communicator with the rest of the ships. "We are on course to Remnant. This planet has creatures known as Grimm. They are dangerous and are soulless beings that are under the command of one known as Salem. We are working with her. She works with and demands the loyalty of these people." The droid projected pictures as well as the names of Tyrian Callows, Dr. Arthur Watts, Hazel Rainart, Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, and Emerald Sustrai. "These three" Vader highlighted Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald, "attacked me. If they do so again, they will be executed. I have made that clear. That being said, do not trust them." Vader then showed a picture of Salem, "This is Salem herself. We may be working under her; however, your orders come from myself and myself alone." Vader instructed, "The Grimm are attracted to negative emotions such as anger and sadness. Suppress these emotions and you will not be attacked." He stood looking at them. None said anything. "Your objectives will come from me and you will have a communication link to me at all times even if we are separated. Also, you will have to kill beings known as Huntsman. All of them have Aura and a Semblance. An Aura is the manifestation of one's soul. A Semblance is an ability unique to a Hunstman. If you have any questions, you may voice them on the ride over." With that Vader stood at the cockpit watching the rest of their journey.

* * *

They landed on the planet in the same spot as Vader before, each trooper exited first as they landed in an open field and drew their weapons. The normal stormtroopers followed suit, exiting their ships. On the 501st, the captain had two K-16 blasters that hung at his hip if not in use. He also had two thermal detonators at the sides of his belts. He stood out in front and the top of the half-circle formation around the ship's ramp with the second trooper.

The second was a heavy trooper, useful for taking fire and control over points of interest in the battlefield. He was bulkier than the rest, due to his size and the armour he wore, holding a DC-15. The blaster he held had a high fire-rate but low accuracy. He had two impact grenades on his belt and a shield on his arm, only large enough to protect himself.

The third was a scouter and sniper. He had a pair of scouting binoculars and a IQA-11 rifle. The rifle had a low fire rate but made up for it in its accuracy and power. It also sported a dual zoom scope allowing for farther distances to be covered. Useful for taking out unsuspecting enemies. Also held was a long-ranged scan dart, which detected enemies through walls, allowing them to map out a plan of attack.

The fourth was an assault trooper, holding a modified CJ-9 Bo-Rifle. The rifle was modified so that the fire-rate was faster, the cooling power rose quickly with it so more vents were put into the weapon, allowing the rifle to breath easier. The rifle also had a deadly melee weapon in the front, useful for dispatching enemies in the melee distance. She also sported a short-ranged Vanguard shotgun, useful for taking down enemies at a short range. On her belt was a stun grenade that electrified enemies.

The fifth was a demolitions expert. He carried mines, grenades, detonators, timed-explosion charges, and even a controllable droid that could sneak into places and create an explosion useful for breaching a wall. He carried a simple EE-4 blaster, small enough to not get in they way, but also enough to dispatch enemies if they got the drop on him.

The sixth and final trooper was a jet-trooper, able to reach high distances, and fire rockets at the enemy from above. The jet-pack was useful for making quick dodges. She also had an A280, a three-round burst rifle, which was good for maintaining accuracy in the air.

The other troopers had a wide variety of classes, ranging from shock troops, to shadow troops, scout troops. Their weapons were of variety also, from close to long range weapons. Overall, Vader was satisfied with is stormtroopers.

They all exited and aimed their weapons on a man in the centre of the field, who simply whistled and admired the weaponry of the troopers. "Very nice." Tyrian Callows said, "Very nice indeed!" The Stormtroopers still pointed their weapons at the insane man. "Lord Vader, an ally?" the captain asked. Vader walked past them, "Yes. Unfortunately."

Tyrian greeted his ally, "Long time no see!" Vader sighed, "Move." Tyrian turned around and began skipping towards the field. After passing the forest, Vader and the troops stopped at the centre of the field. Stepping through, all of the troopers found themselves in a land that looked cursed. The red sky bathed the ground in the same eerie colour unnerving some of them. Tyrian began sprinting, leaping over rocks and boulders that littered the land. "Race ya!" he said as he flipped over some more rocks. Vader simply began walking towards the palace. The walk was faster than any of the troopers thought as they had reached the doors before they knew it. None said anything. Vader marched up to the doors, very much the same as when he marched on the Jedi Temple to destroy the Order. The march echoed throughout the Castle, notifying all of their presence. The Dark Lord stopped and instructed the 501st heavy troop and Captain to accompany him. Vader turned to the battalion, "I will meet with them, you will stay out here until further instructions. You two come with me." They obliged, "Yes, Lord Vader." Before long, they reached the door.

Vader threw open the door and stepped in with the two stormtroopers. "Lord Vader." Salem greeted, a smile on her face, "I see you've brought friends."

"Merely troops who know how to follow orders" He looked at Cinder and her companions, "without question." He turned back to Salem.

"What is the update on Ruby Rose?"

Salem extended a hand to her left, "See for yourself…" She called out in the same direction, "Come out, my dear."

A red figure stepped out from behind her chair. The figure was hooded, and the now tattered cloak draped over her shoulders and, thus, the rest of her body. Vader could feel the brokenness of her. This is what was left of Ruby Rose. She raised her head, just enough for her Silver eyes to be seen. They were hollow, lifeless. Dead. "Ruby Rose." Vader said, earning a grunt and a shuffle from the shell of the girl. "She does not speak yet. If she does, it's minimal." Salem said, "Watts is going to have to address it when he returns from Mistral."

Vader turned his attention back to the Dark Goddess, "What is it you would have me do?" Salem arose from the table and began walking. "Cinder, Watts, Mercury and Emerald will be going to the home of the Branwen Tribe. There they will establish a plan of action and attack on Haven. Also, the Spring Maiden is being housed by them and we need her to open the Relic inside the Academy." She stopped and looked at Ruby, "Your sister is there now. With your friend the heiress, Weiss Schnee." She twitched at the names, Salem continued, "How does that make you feel?" Rose simply said, "…Angry." Salem stepped towards her, "That's right… They left you. Schnee ran away and your sister was too cowardly to fight. Look at what has become of you now." She stopped in front of her, her face inches of hers, "Would you like to kill them?" Ruby Rose took off her hood revealing a cursed version of her former one. Black veins formed around her eyes and connected to her temples. Her eyes themselves were black except for her irises, which were still Silver. Her hair now had a streak of white down the left side, the black and red engulfing the rest still. She simply nodded at her new Master's question. A sickening grin found its way to Salem's face, "Good." Vader was reminded briefly of his pledge to the Emperor.

Salem turned back to Vader, "You will take her with you." He responded, "Very well. What is this relic?" Salem explained, "Don't worry about the relic, Lord Vader. It is my concern." Vader simply responded, "Good."

The Dark Goddess turned her attention to the trooper at his side, "And you are?" the captain looked at Vader, who simply informed, "A soldier under my command. Their orders come from me. They will be helpful in taking Haven academy, what they lack in abilities such as Semblances and Aura, they make up for in technological and weapons expertise." Mercury scoffed, "So they're just infantry soldiers?" Vader ignored, and Salem nodded, "Very good. They will accompany you to the Branwen tribe?"

"No, they will lead the assault with the White Fang."

"Good."

"I will go with your underlings to Branwen and we will take the academy quickly." Vader finalized.

"Excellent." She turned to Cinder, her expression turning grim, "Be on your way." Cinder got up and bowed. "Go with them, Ruby." The Dark Goddess said to the puppet, who said nothing in response. She walked and stood next to Cinder. Vader turned and left to instruct his troops. Tyrian flipped over the table and balanced on the end. "My Queen, will I be accompanying them?" He said with a grin. "Of course. You're last mission was a success. Run along." He skipped down the hall, presumably to grab his equipment.

Now outside, the Dark Lord stood in front of his troops. "You will all be working alongside an organization called the White Fang." They said nothing. The Dark Lord continued, "I will be inside, facing the Huntsman alongside Salem's forces. For now, you are under the temporary command of this trooper." He gestured to the commander at his side. He turned to him, "You report to me, and only me. While under Taurus' command, I will allow you to use your own discretion and follow his orders if you deem it acceptable. If you find yourself questioning his orders, contact me and verify the command." The soldier saluted and said, "Understood, sir."

All the troops stood at attention and rose one foot, and then slammed it onto the ground, creating a threatening noise of a one-stepped march.

Vader was joined by Salem's pawns and they walked past the troops, who then filed inside the building. The rest of the Huntsman and Huntresses who stood in the Empire's way would be struck down. None would stand in their way.

* * *

 **In response to guest's question: no, Luke is alive and well. This story does not change the Star Wars story at all. Darth Vader thinks of himself as a completely different person from Anakin Skywalker. He legitimately believes himself to be someone who died during Order 66. This might call into question for his feelings for Padme. I like to believe that he still loves Padme (like deep, _deep_ down) but still refuses to see himself as the person before; The Jedi Anakin Skywalker. I can't remember what comic it was in, but Vader was shown an illusion of Padme and he attempts to kill himself in sheer sorrow and shame (I don't think this is canon anymore, but Star Wars Theory provides information in a video on his YouTube channel).**

 **In regard to N's comment: Who knows what the end will hold for our heroes? Maybe the end will not be the end. ;)**

 **For the other comment regarding to Stormtroopers, I like to think that they are a better fighting force than what we see in the movies (haha!) They will serve as a staple in the fight at Haven Academy.**

 **And yes, those classes are from EA's _Star Wars_ _Battlefront_ s 1 and 2! :D**


	15. Aggressive Negotiations

**Sorry it's been so long, but here it is! I've been writing my other stories as well as trying to decide on how this story will end.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14 – Aggressive Negotiations**

The portal opened and closed quickly as Vader and his allies stepped through. They were in a forest; large trees surrounded them, branches and leaves blocked out the sun, creating shadows that stretched along the ground beneath their feet. They were at the side of a dirt road, grass and bush in their immediate vicinity. "Let's go." Watts said, half-heartedly as he began walking down the road. All followed suit except for Rose. Cinder turned and glared at her. She followed. She still hated her very much. Tyrian was the last, keeping his hands in front of him, each finger on the other; A devilish grin stretched across his face.

The walk was a short one and soon enough they were in front of a large wooden gate. The door was made of thick planks kept together with ropes and nails. The walls were large spikes likely made from the nearby trees that had their points upwards. Three figures stood in front of the gate. The group stopped in the shadow of a tree, ensuring that they would not be seen. "Go." Cinder said to Mercury and Emerald. The two walked forward, allowing the sunlight to hit them. "Hey, ugly!" the boy called over. The man in the centre turned around and drew his weapon, a small revolver. He was far too skinny to put up much of a challenge. His hair was long and blonde, down to his neck and he wore a vest that was open, revealing a grey shirt with the top button down. Around his neck was a red ascot. His lower body was covered by simple brown slacks and black shoes. The mercenary pointed his weapon at the approaching figures and the green one asked rhetorically "Is Raven Branwen home?" The man placed his face in his palm and sighed. "Ya know, it's been a _long_ week. So, I think I'll take it out on you-" Terror found its way to his face as he saw more approaching figures, along with a rhythmic sound that caused a chill to run down his spine. Mercury snickered and his face. "It doesn't seem like he wants to cooperate, boss." He said looking at the Fall Maiden. She chuckled and said, "Then make him." All turned back to the bandits at the gates. "I was hoping you'd say that." Mercury said as Emerald stepped forward, closing the distance between herself and the guards. She twirled her weapons and darted over to the one to the left. Before any of them could react, she had knocked him out with a swift strike to the back of the head. Mercury incapacitated the other guard by speeding over and tripping her and letting her fall onto her back.

The bandit in the center threw his weapon away and held his hands up in a surrender. "I give up, I give up!" he said. Tyrian pounced onto him, holding his wristblade at his throat. "Hehe, gotcha!" His hostage pleaded, "P-please! Don't kill me." Cinder obliged with a sigh. "Get off him, Tyrian." The Fall Maiden sauntered past him as he got up. She snapped her fingers and his vest was set ablaze. In a panic, he ripped it off and threw it onto the ground, stomping on it to extinguish the flames.

She pushed open the gate and all of them walked inside. The encampment was littered with tents that looked to be thrown together with rope and pins to keep them in place. A girl with short brown hair and bright blue eyes stood on the porch of the largest tent in the centre of the camp. There was a power with her. She bolted in began talking to whoever was inside, presumably Raven Branwen. Vader was getting stares from the residents of the tribal grounds. Tyrian looked around and chuckled. A person emerged from the tent wearing a large white mask. "I don't recall inviting so many guests into our home." She addressed the people around them. Her tone grew angrier, "Either I lost my memory, or you've all lost your spines." Cinder spoke in her raspy voice, "Don't be too upset Raven," The woman turned to her. "Your men simply recognize the power of a Maiden when they see one." She said, her eye becoming engulfed in flame. The leader turned to the rest of her tribe, "Pack your things, break down camp. We are leaving." The rest of the tribe disappeared into their tents to prepare.

Watts spoke to the leader, "A little bit late to run and hide. You are already on our Master's list, so you know that we can't let you slip away." She turned her attention to the doctor. "I know all about your master, but I don't believe we've ever met." She said, making her way down the stairs. Mercury made another snide remark, "We're the guys you should be afraid of." Branwen looked at the boy, "Oh, I doubt anyone's afraid of you." Mercury was about to make another comment but was cut off by Cinder, who ordered him to stay quiet. "That's what I thought."

Cinder began to introduce herself and her allies. "I am Cinder Fall, this is my associate, Arthur Watts and these are my disciples, Mercury and Emerald." She stepped aside to show Vader and Ruby. "This is Darth Vader, one of Salem's associates and this is Ruby Rose. She was… persuaded to come with us." She said, gesturing to the hooded girl. Raven Branwen's figure froze. "Rose?" She said with audible concern. Stepping onto the ground, she looked as if she wanted to get a better look at her, but the girl pulled away and shifted so she would be slightly behind Vader.

She quickly regained her posture. "Two children you tricked into following you, a disgraced Atlesian scientist and a Fall Maiden with a surname so appropriate she probably picked it herself, a hired mercenary and a brainwashed child."

Vader stepped forward. "Enough bickering." He came to the front of the group, over-taking Cinder, "We are here because you are going assist in the obtaining of the Relic. It is sealed behind some sort of mechanism and can only be opened by the Spring Maiden. Present her." The woman kept her hands on her weapon as she looked over her shoulder and called to the tent behind her, "Vernal!" The girl from earlier stepped out. Cinder observed, "So this is the long-lost Spring Maiden. Prove it." Vernal looked at her superior who nodded and she sighed, closing her eyes. She held her hands outward and focused. Vader could feel the Force flowing. The clouds above turned and twisted, becoming spirals. The wind picked up and threw the tents and drapes around the camp into disarray. The girl calmed down and the storm stopped. Raven was the first to speak as Mercury, Watts, and Emerald dusted themselves off. "Vernal has done well under my guidance. I'd take that into consideration before you try anything." Vader derailed her threat. "You are in no position to make threats, Raven Branwen. If she, or anyone else in this camp attacks, I will personally see to it that no one leaves alive. If you persist, we can take Vernal with ease. Salem has ways of rallying people to our side. He said gesturing to the girl in red behind him. He took one step closer to her, then another. "Mind your tone when speaking to me. I am _much_ more than a hired soldier." The two of them glared at each other through their masks. The tension in the air was felt by all.

Watts cleared his throat loudly. Vader and Raven stepped away from one another. "Anyway, if you allow Vernal to unlock the Relic of Knowledge, all acts of defiance against Salem can be overlooked and afterwards, you and your clan can be on your merry way." Raven straightened herself. "Relationships such as this are built on trust. And, forgive me for saying, but I don't trust a single one of you." She said glaring at Vader and Cinder. "I want something out of this." She finished. Watts replied, "Might I remind you that you are in a _poor_ position to negotiate?"

The woman explained herself. She wanted her brother dead and out of the picture. If the Huntsman was to know that his sister had helped Salem, he would stop at nothing and track her down. Cinder began to agree, which prompted Watts to step in, saying that they should consider the fact that if Qrow was to fight back, he would create a ruckus and the authorities would be notified, ending their operation. Raven proposed that they make for the Relic on the same day as the White Fang's attack on Haven Academy and use the destruction to cover any evidence that Qrow and the other Huntsman and Huntresses were killed. Cinder agreed, and Watts simply sighed. "If this is about making the girl suffer, then you are on your own. Forcing her right into action? Is that really a good idea?"

"It may speed up her affinity with her newfound allegiance." Cinder explained. Watts simply shook his head.

The Fall Maiden walked over to Raven and shook her hand. "Deal."


	16. Attack

**Chapter 15** **–** **Attack**

It had been two days and the preparations were complete. Everyone was checking their gear and ensuring that they are ready for the Huntsman and Huntresses about to enter the building. In Lionheart's room, Cinder smiled connivingly, her underlings stood at her side. Lionheart was standing up and pacing in front of the windows, clutching his head and sighing to himself every few minutes. He whispered, "Oh no, no, no… I can't do this, I can't!" Vader simply stood tall and fierce, his chilling breathing filling the room. Raven and Vernal just kept shooting glances at each other and nodding. It was clear they were nervous. Ruby Rose stood next to Vader, just behind Cinder and her company. "We aim to kill them and not draw any more attention than necessary, am I understood?" Cinder turned and informed Vader, "Our main objective here is the Relic."

"I have not forgotten our reason here, Cinder Fall. However, you seem very care-free." He noticed. His expression turned darker, "It will do you no good to underestimate our enemies. They were able to survive an attack from me." Vader warned. Mercury cut in.

"Well, we did too, so that's not saying much, is it?" He said with a sly smirk. The Dark Lord took a step towards him. Mercury was noticeably more cautious as the cyborg got closer.

"Mind your tongue, boy. You do not need any _more_ enemies on the battlefield tonight."

Raven spoke up. "You are certainly getting along well." She turned to Cinder, "If you can't work alongside one another right now, why would you throw us two into the mix?" Vader answered instead of the Fall Maiden.

"Make no mistake, you are a means to an end. Nothing more, nothing less."

They heard the double doors of the main hall open. All of them looked at each other and nodded. "You're up, old man." Mercury said to Lionheart who looked like he was about to collapse. "Y-yes, of course." He said as he shuffled over to the doors. Raven looked at everyone. "When you see the portal open up, go through it." She said as she morphed into a dark-feathered bird and out the doors.

Lionheart nervously laughed and thanked the Huntsmen and Huntresses for coming. This was not going to last long. Eventually, a gunshot was heard, and Raven apparently revealed herself. Qrow was angrily yelling and asking her how she could have done this. The portal opened in the centre of the room. It was large enough for someone taller than Vader to step through. The portal was a swirling pool of blood red energy. One by one, they stepped through. The first was Vader.

He emerged on the other side and was met with the group he had fought earlier, in addition to two he had never seen before, but he recognized them from their profiles he had the droid download from Beacon's database. One was Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose' sister. Her Semblance was peculiar, but smart if used correctly; the more damage she takes, the more she can deal. Useful, but reckless, Vader could tell. She wore a long brown coat with detachable over a simple orange shirt. At the bottom of her upper body, her stomach could be seen, just above the simple light brown belt that went over the coat. On her legs were tight black pants, which had a purple sash tied around her left leg, just over her brown boots. Her hands were covered by fingerless black gloves which extended. Her forearms were covered by brown cuffs. Underneath her golden weapons which clicked and loaded as soon as she saw Vader. There was so much rage in her glowing red eyes, contrasting with her long, flowing golden hair. Her allies must had told her who took her sister.

The other was Weiss Schnee. She wore a simple dark but nearly colourless dress that started grey at the top but faded into a white as it went down. Around her stomach was a white sash tied so that it was hanging in the front of her just a few inches. Her neck was covered by the clothing a necklace of sorts. The jewel on it was a blue in colour and the metal that held it together was silver. Her sleeves connected at her neck and wrapped around underneath the necklace. Her legs were shown mostly, except for her feet which were covered by grey high-heeled shoes. She looked at Vader with such fear and anger. The weapon she held trembled. Whether it was out of fear or anger was yet to be seen. Upon closer inspection, Vader saw that there was a roulette dust chamber that, presumably, allowed her to use different elements in her attacks. Everyone else was in the same attire that Vader had seen them wear in the abandoned village. However, there was a new face. To the right in the back was a boy with dark hair, hazel eyes and had the look of a farmer about him. He did not belong here, however had a very strange presence about him.

The rest of his allies stepped though the portal. First were Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury, then Tyrian who was followed by Vernal and their newest ally, which the people who stood before them laid their eyes upon. They widened in shock as they saw a familiar red cape flutter as the portal closed. "Ruby?" The blonde called out, the look on her face now sorrowful, almost fearful of whom she was conversing with. "Rubes, is that you?" The red cloaked figure shifted itself and shook its head, keeping its face hidden. "Hey it's me!" Yang said with a smile. It was almost as if she was trying harder to convince herself that the shell before her was her younger sister, rather than the other way around.

"Your sister is gone." Vader's booming voice filled the room. Jaune, Nora, and Ren were visibly shaken by it, however quickly recovered. "No, she's not." The brawler said, fixing her now red eyes on the tall black figure in front of her. "I know she's still here," She was blinking back tears, "What the hell did you do to her?" Cinder stepped forward, "Don't fret, dear. We merely convinced her to come to our side." She said with a sly smile. Yang's rage grew. Qrow stepped forward, weapons pointed at his enemies. "What is this, Leo? You're working for Salem?" The lion faunus reared back in fear and shame and then allowed his head to hang. "I did what I had to. To survive! You don't know her power! She can't be stopped."

"Bullshit! You made a deal with Oz! You turned your back on what it means to be human! You turned your back on us." He said, his face filled with frustration. Vader cut in.

"Your niece has also turned her back on you." He said gesturing to her. "What did you do to her?!" Yang said again, her eyes fixed on Vader. He decided to give her an answer. She at least deserved that much. Taking a step towards her, he told her, "She was brutally tortured. Grimm tore into her flesh and mind. The blood in her veins isn't even her own anymore." Using the Force, he moved the hood off her head and revealed the black veins that connected to her eyes. Everyone had a shocked reaction to some degree, the remainder of team JNPR covered their mouths and hung their heads down, Weiss gasped, took a few steps back and shook her head. Qrow lowered his weapon, not out of losing his will to fight, he still had that, but out of shock. "You monster!" He said as he aimed his weapon in it's firearm form at Vader. He was ready to block the incoming projectile but addressed the group. "Foolish children. Lay down your weapons and you will not be harmed. "Like we'd do that!" Yang said, her eyes red and tear filled. Jaune, behind her, was also tearing as his eyes fell onto Cinder. He opened his mouth to say something, but Yang continued. "You think we're going to just give up?" Vader used the Force to pull his lightsaber to his hand. "That would be wise."

"We won't! We are going to pummel all of you and take down Salem." She said pointing to the group. Vader retaliated.

"You could not even protect your sister, child." Rage filled her face. Vader knew he was getting to her. He could use this. Force her to act sporadically and without thinking. "Imagine how sad your father is going to be." He said bluntly.

Just like that, the girl exploded in anger, from her mouth a deadly grunt. Her weapons that propelled her forward to him. He caught her with the Force but received fire from Ren, forcing him to drop the girl who quickly rolled backwards, away from Vader. The Dark Lord turned his head and looked over his shoulder to Ruby Rose. "Attack." He ordered. The puppet sprung into action, leaping high into the air and drawing Crescent Rose. She fired two shots, one at her sister and one at remainder of team RNJR. Both missed but drew their attention.

Jaune recovered and charged at Cinder, his sword raised above his head. She created a glass sword, coated in fire and blocked his strike. Tears were still streaming down his face. "You… you killed her!" She threw him off, but he regained his balance and began attacking again, each blow filled with rage and anger. "You walk in here and laugh at our suffering! I won't lose anyone anymore! I won't!" They locked swords again and their eyes met. The Fall Maiden chuckled, "My, my! Are you talking about the last Fall Maiden? Lost her, didn't you?" He screamed in rage and pushed her back.

Everyone had engaged their own targets, Raven was fighting Qrow, Jaune fighting Cinder, backed up by Emerald. A small boy made his way up to Lionheart. Even Vader had faith that he could defeat a child. Nora and Ren were battling Mercury. A new face entered the fight, at the doors. It was Hazel. He looked around to see that the fight had already begun.

Vader's attention was caught be the Yang and Weiss. They both loaded their weapons with ammunition and assumed their battle stances. Activating his lightsaber, the immediate area around him was given a red hue. Raising it towards them, he knew the blonde would be on the offensive, but he did not know the other girl's fight style. Her recalled her Semblance was to summon glyphs and her defeated foes from them. A white symbol appeared in front of her as she thrusted the point of her weapon into the floor. Vader readied himself for an attack but was surprised to see the glyph move to her left and the blonde hopped on it, enhancing her speed greatly. Winding up the punch, Vader had nearly no time to react but just barely managed to dodge to the left. The girl followed him, and he turned around to block her strike with his lightsaber. The blade hummed as it moved and crashed as it collided with Yang's weapon. He was sent backwards but still regained his balance. The blade calmed to a low hum again and it was held in front of him. Vader dashed towards Weiss, blocking shots from Yang. In a leftward swipe, his blade met Weiss only briefly as she sidestepped and created another glyph in front of Vader, facing her. She propelled off it and was sent about ten metres away. The Dark Lord heard the other girl approaching and turned around, bringing his lightsaber with him. His strike did not hold enough power to cleave through her aura fully, but it did stagger her. Using the Force, he pushed her backwards and she flew into the wall and then fell to the floor. Weiss screamed "Yang!" and Ruby Rose's head jerked to the side and then turned to find the source of the voice. Her former ally was focused on the unmoving body of Yang, so she would not see an attack coming. She spun and a cluster of rose petals were thrown into a fray around her.

Vader made his way over to the unmoving body of the blonde and prepared an overhead strike to kill her. "No!" Weiss' voice called out. The armoured cyborg turned just in time to be hit by a blur of white and blue. He staggered backwards, and his lightsaber was sheathed. He turned to face her as a glyph was dissipating underneath her feet. A figure in red appeared behind the girl in white, ready to strike in an underhand crescent motion. The heiress felt a familiar presence and took notice of the red rose petals that fell over her shoulder. Turning around, she saw the attack incoming and rolled out of the way. Vader decided to assist Ruby and held Weiss in place, effectively rendering her arms and legs immobile. His concentration was cut short when he heard metal clamp down and he felt a slight pressure on his right foot. Weiss was free now and was able to engage Ruby. The Dark Lord saw a black and yellow hand on his boot. A metal arm? He felt the pressure build as Yang gripped harder. He swiped with his lightsaber and she rolled out of the way and released her grip. As she got to her feet, Vader noticed that her attention was not on him, they were on her sister behind him.

Activating his lightsaber, he drew her attention once more. The brawler assumed a fighting stance as a loud clicking noise was heard. She had loaded her weapon. Vader moved to get a strike in before she shot at him. She was quick, but he swung in a wide horizontal motion, ensuring that he would get her. Ducking underneath the blade, she felt the heat touch the top of her head and tried for an uppercut on his 'jaw.' However, Vader was on the offensive now. He brought the lightsaber back to his body and blocked the incoming fist. Fortunately for Yang, it was metal, and the damages sustained were nothing to worry about - simply a slight burn mark. Vader swung his lightsaber downward, forcing her to dodge to her right. He continued to strike, one after another and she was pushed to take a defensive position. Her face grimaced as she did. She was not used to the defensive strategy, he could tell by her moves. Bringing his lightsaber down for an overhead strike, she used both bracers to block, sending sparks around them. "You have lost, girl. Give up and I may show mercy." She pushed back.

"Never! Not after what you did to my sister! When we are done here, you and your little friends are going to changer her back." Yang persisted. Vader pessimistically informed,

"There is no way to save her. Your sister is gone. Even if there is a chance, she will _never_ be the same as before."

With a scream of rage, she pushed but Vader pushed harder and she fell onto her back. She rolled backward and got to her feet and began to shoot at him. Vader dodged to the left and then threw his lightsaber at her. "Distance will not protect you." He warned. She blocked it and the weapon fell to the floor. She shot at the wall behind her, forcing herself forward at him. He pulled his lightsaber towards him just in time, sacrificing his time to dodge and only managed to make it miss his head, which she was aiming for, and hit his left shoulder. He was knocked to the floor, his weapon sliding across the marble floor behind his opponent. The girl climbed on top of him and pinned him to the floor, raising her right fist for another strike. With the flick of his fingers, the lightsaber glided itself towards him and ignited with a deadly hiss. Yang looked down to see a crimson blade in her stomach, right through her spine. She tried to remove, it only for her fingers to be burned. As she collapsed and fell off Vader, the lightsaber sheathed itself and fell to the floor with a loud metallic clang.

Getting to his feet, the Dark Lord heard a loud grunt, followed by a scream of rage. Vader turned to see Hazel growing seemingly larger as he thrusted four dust crystals, yellow if colour, into his arms. Lightning dance across his arms and he let out a roar. "Your going to pay for what you did!" He said, his eyes seething with hatred. He was talking to the small boy, who seemed to be arguing with himself. Lionheart was now looking down upon the battlefield, ultimately of no help.

Vader turned back to his other opponent who seemed to be fighting a red blur but was holding her own, all the while trying to talk to her former ally. Weiss would tire eventually, but Vader wanted to be done with this; Ruby Rose would need help. Jaune's voice called from the other side of the main hall, "Yang!"

The Dark Lord marched to the girl in white, who noticed his approach and thrusted her blade into the ground, sending up a wall of ice, cutting off Vader from getting to her. Ruby jumped over it and the Sith heard more fighting on the inside. Soon enough, a piece of the wall burst open and Weiss came flying out. Ruby Rose stood inside the ice as the rest around her crumbled into sparkling dust. "Impressive." Vader remarked beside her. However, before even he could react, the scythe wielder thrusted forward towards Weiss with the intent to kill. All the fighting came to a standstill as everyone turned to see what had happened. When the dust settled, it was seen that Crescent Rose was driven deep into the girl's left shoulder, effectively pinning her to the wall. Blood poured out of the wound as a voice called from across the large room. "Weiss!" It was Jaune, now running over to his two beaten allies.

Cinder looked around and her gaze rested on Lionheart. "Take us to the relic, we won't get another chance like this again." She turned to Raven and Vernal. "Move." Jaune ran over to Weiss but was keeping his eye on Ruby.

The puppet looked at Jaune and rose Weiss off the ground by holding Crescent Rose at it's full height, much taller than either of the teenagers. Weiss' feet dangled in the air, blood falling from her mouth and dripping down her chin. Jaune knew what she was going to do, he had seen the move done on many Grimm in their time hunting together. "Ruby don't-!" Before he could say anymore, the deafening sound of a gunshot filled the room.


	17. The White Fang

**Chapter 16 – The White Fang**

The boy shielded his eyes, but his mind fluttered with thoughts and images of what happened. He looked up to see the girl neatly diagonally cleaved in half, the top of her left shoulder still attached. "No…" He dropped to his knees in despair, his weapons slipping out of his hands and meeting the floor. "No…!" He almost whispered again as the blood pooled on the floor. He clutched his head and kept his eyes on the floor now, not wanting to look up and see another friend dead in front of him. Even Cinder stopped and stared at what Ruby had done, she was shocked. Ruby simply stood as she looked almost confused as to what she had done. Lionheart shook his head and lowered it. "I… I'm sorry…" Qrow's eyes were widened, but still held his weapon, this time pointed at his niece. "Ruby? What…" He said somberly. There was no response as she still stared at Weiss' remains. She was completely unresponsive.

"Go." Cinder's voice broke the silence. Jaune picked up his sword and began sprinting at the Fall Maiden. Vader picked him up with the Force and hurled him towards him. "Get the Relic." He ordered. Jaune's attention was taken by the Dark Lord and he swung in rage at him. Vader dodged, the blade just barely missing his armour. With the vicious ignition of his lightsaber, he engaged him in single combat. In a blood red arc, he swung and met his blade. Sparks flew to the sides as the statue gave way and revealed a hidden elevator. In screams of fury, he kept hitting the blade of Vader's lightsaber, who simply held it with one hand. An easy fight for him. Many rebels and Jedi had fallen to the terror that was the Dark Lord. The boy stood no chance. Jaune pushed on Vader and gained his footing. He turned to see Ren and Nora have given up, placing their weapons to the sides and kneeling. "What are you doing?!" He asked, the adrenaline pumping through his body. Ren shook his head, "Jaune, we can't beat them." He reasoned, "Look what they did to Weiss. She wouldn't want us to die, would she? Just stop this." Jaune bit back, "She wouldn't want us to give up either!" Vader cut in. "Listen to your friends, boy." He swung and Jaune dodged out of the way, rolling backwards and standing at the ready again. "You have lost." The Dark Lord mused as he struck again, this time from the right, swiping downward at the novice' feet. Jaune noticed that the dark figure's strikes were not as intimidating as before. Now they were merely passing the time. "Stop screwing with me and fight!" he said, tears streaming down his face. Vader's expressionless face somehow became more sinister. "Very well."

Stepping forward, quicker than any had imagined, he struck Jaune in the chest, luckily for him, being blocked by the armour, an orange burn mark sitting horizontally on the plate. He looked up just in time to block the next one, but, still using one hand, Vader pushed harshly, loosening Jaune's grip and he twisted the sword out of his hand. He pointed the crimson blade at his throat and walked forward. Hazel and the farm boy began fighting again, but this time, the boy's fighting style had changed, not just that, but the overall presence had shifted. Vader took note and glanced in his direction. "What are you? Not a mere farm boy… something else, perhaps?" The Dark Lord's attention was caught by the blonde boy once more as he rolled to the right and recovered his weapon. The Sith lowered his weapon and held it at his side, only slightly impressed at his perseverance despite his circumstances, but ultimately, he would fall like the rest. The elevator began to lower itself and soon Cinder, Raven, and Vernal were all out of sight.

Jaune charged at Vader, his sword held above his head. Holding his lightsaber horizontally, the Dark Lord blocked it and sidestepped to the right, just turning his weapon inward so that the boy would fall forward, as he put all his bodyweight into the strike. Vader twirled his lightsaber and slashed at his left leg and arm, forcing him to collapse to the floor in pain. With a grunt he glared at Vader with such an intent to kill that it was laughable to him. "All that rage but no power to utilize it. How pitiful." He said as the fight was now over. The boy clutched the wounds that were just deep enough that he could not move the limbs they were inflicted on.

Everyone's gaze was now brought towards Hazel and the farm boy fighting. He kept screaming things about him paying for what he had done. The nature of their fight did not interest Vader in the slightest and he payed it little to no mind, but _was_ interested, however, in the boy's shift in presence. His movements had changed too. Before they were that of a novice who had only begun fighting a few days ago. Now, they were well-trained, his strikes connecting with full force, even staggering Hazel in the process.

Vader heard a beeping on his belt, as did everyone else. It appeared he was receiving an incoming transmission. He pressed the button and a small blue hologram appeared on the palm of his hand. "Report, captain." He said to the stormtrooper who was leading the assault with the White Fang. "Lord Vader, the charges have been set. Do you have what you came for?"

"The Huntsman on the inside have been dealt with. I will have what we came here for soon enough." Vader assured. He then heard some shouting off screen and the trooper looked in that direction.

"The Huntsman have new allies on the way. We will deal with them."

"I want this done swiftly, captain. Notify the troops that I am coming." He said as he began walking to the front doors.

"Yes, sir." He said as he began aiming his weapons at something to his right.

Vader shut off the transmission and Mercury called to him as he reached the doors. "Where are you going?" Without turning, Vader ordered the boy, "I am going to dispel this new threat that has approached. _You_ are going to stay here and watch the Huntsman. If they so much as move a _finger_ , kill them. Am I understood?" The Sith bluntly as he turned to face him. Suddenly, Mercury was hit with a wave of fear, his mind fluttering back to the time he fought Vader in the hallway. "Alright." He nearly whispered. The Dark Lord's gaze went back to the farm boy. "Hazel be done with this quick. If he is not dead by the time I return I will kill him myself." If the enraged man had heard him was unknown, he simply roared more and more at the boy.

Leaving the doors to swing shut on their own, he saw his troops with the White Fang, weapons pointed at the incoming enemy forces. Vader approach his group of allies. There were hundreds of stormtroopers, but there were many more, not-as-well-equipped, Faunus with the same White Fang Symbol, but in gold, looking more peaceful than the current symbol. The current one bore more fangs and the beast grimaced, showing anger. The one that the enemies had a calmer expression, the mouth closed, showing diplomacy and the desire to talk problems out. The Sith Lord scoffed at the idea. Adam Taurus looked around and saw that his allies were vastly outnumbered, but he was looking at numbers; Vader was looking at skill. One of his troops accounted for at least five of these Faunus. Yes, they had equipment, but it would be a short fight. Not a single one of them had armour. Adam, who was obviously overwhelmed by the sudden display of new enemies, was looking up, not to the sides. Following his gaze, the Dark Lord saw that he was looking at a girl standing on top of a building. She was a Faunus as well as see by the animal ears that sat atop her long black hair. She wore a white coat over a black shirt that covered her chest but left her stomach open. Black pants sat on her legs and matched her long boots that covered her thighs, golden accents trimming the top. Vader recognized her instantly, "Blake Belladonna." He called to her. She was a part of Ruby Rose' team and is likely unaware of the events that transpired inside the walls of the Academy behind them. "Withdraw your forces if you do not wish them to be destroyed. Be grateful I am giving you a warning." Adam turned and saw the tall figure that was now beside him. He was visibly shaken by the demonic aura and presence of the… person that was beside him. "Who the hell are you?" Vader assured, "An ally." Was all Vader told him, as he did not take his gaze off the girl. He wondered what she would do. "Hey tall, dark and ugly!" He heard an upbeat voice call to him and turned slowly, unimpressed by what greeted him. Before him was a boy in a white high-collared shirt with the front open and sleeves rolled up, showing his toned chest and arms. His pants were blue and led down to his ankles which were covered by white bandages wrapped around them. His feet were covered by yellow and black shoes worn from use. In his hands were a red staff that was slung over both shoulders and had his red vambrace-covered hands dangling in front of him. His blonde hair was wild, spiked up and unkept. Around his neck was a gold pendant no larger than a small coin held by a black string. "What are you supposed to be?" He asked rhetorically with a snicker. This boy was going to be a bother. His gaze shifted back to the girl. "You have been your only warning. If you do not lay down your weapons, none will be spared." He stated, looking at her, but his voice projecting outward to the surrounding crowds, with it a wave and following ripple of fear. Murmurs began to spread around, each one filled with worry and concern. Adam's voice rose louder than all others, seemingly trying to take advantage of the fear that Vader created. "Yes, brothers and sisters! See that we need to teach humanity a lesson…!" He took a breath in to finish the thought but was met with the unforgiving black pools of Vader's helm. He shrunk and fell to the back of the group.

Blake jumped down onto the ground, "We will not falter. We came here to stop the White Fang and that's what we intend to do." She drew her weapon. Suddenly, a light was shone down onto the group in the centre of the courtyard and Vader's terrifying form became fully visible that could not be seen in the dim moonlight beforehand. "Adam Taurus!" A commanding female voice called down from the airship. "This is the Mistral Police Department! Lay down your weapons or be taken by force." She said. The stormtroopers looked to each other, but not out of confusion; They were looking to see who was armed with a rocket launcher. Indeed, there was one. Vader ignited his lightsaber, making some of the Faunus surrounding him jump, even his allies. "You have made your choice." He turned his head to his troops and ordered, "Open fire. Stay to the right, the 501st and I will handle the left." And with that, he was marching towards the group of White Fang activists who backed away slowly. The stormtrooper aimed his rocket launcher and took a shot. As the orange flame streaked through the air, a trail of smoke followed behind hit. It made contact with the airship and soon enough, it was falling from the sky and came crashing down, a small trickle of fire had begun to spread within. Vader's voice rang out to his legion, "Fan out. Take the groups to the sides."

The group in front of him was terrified but still, one in front charged at him with a dark grey shield raised in front of his body, a spear in his right hand. He pointed it towards Vader, ready to impale him. He sidestepped to the left and brought his blade down onto his back, cutting him down immediately. Two more rushed him, one with a sword, the other with a halberd. The one with the sword fell first, not raising his blade fast enough to block the blood red one of his enemy. He cut through him with ease and he fell with a blood-curdling scream. These were not Huntsman; they were simply people who wanted to help and, as such, they did not unlock their Aura, nor did they have Semblances. An easy fight. Vader turned around to see his troops successfully gunning down the rest of the forces. The 501st led the assault and swiftly broke down the enemies. Under the barrage of fire, their shields barely stood a chance and they had to retreat behind walls and trees for cover. Vader turned back to his fight.

The one with the halberd tried for a strike at his head, but he cut the wooden handle and shoe cowered in fear. With a quick slash, he cut open her stomach and she fell to her knees. The rest of the group backed away and some even started throwing down their weapons. Then he heard a small voice scream out "No!" He turned to see a short girl in a black jumpsuit that ended at her limbs, which were bare. The jumpsuit itself was adorned with small buckles on collarbone and a single zipper from her neck to the midsection of her chest. Small spots were dotting her body, almost like an animal. Her brown hair was tied back in a ponytail and her grey eyes were filled with anger and fear. Then Vader was caught off guard as she approached the shadows at an extremely fast speed and seemingly vanished.

She reappeared next to him and jabbed her weapon in his side, sending an electric shock through his system. With a low growl, Vader swung his lightsaber and missed the already dissipated shadow. How was she doing this? It seemed that she was blending in with the very environment, not just the shadows. A few more shocks entered his system, one from the right and then the back, and he fell to one knee. Then he looked up and saw her. Her skin shifted and she changed colour as she was dodging the fire of his stormtroopers. "Are you alright, Lord Vader?" The captain asked, knowing full well that he did not need help getting back up, but offered his hand anyway. The Dark Lord did not take it and got up on his own. "Get back to work. Don't let a single one escape." He ordered and turned back to face the incoming camouflaged threat. The captain drew both pistols and began firing into the crowd of enemies. With each blaster bolt, one fell, leaving those around them cowering.

Focusing on the movement, he saw her coming. "I have you now." He said as he raised his left hand and pulled with the Force. He felt his physical hand grasp her throat and lifted her off the ground. "You are a nuisance." He said as his grip tightened, and she lifted her weapon to strike again, but was disarmed by Vader who slashed at her hand, forcing her to drop the weapon. Now she placed both hands, trying to release his iron grip from her throat. He heard two gunshots and raised his lightsaber under his left arm to block the shots. "Let her go!" The boy from earlier said. It appears his weapons had split into two and became firearms. He put them together and began running at the black armoured figure. He was not quick enough, however, as Vader tightened his grip and he heard a sickening snap come from the girl's neck. She fell to the floor limp.

Flipping into the air, the boy brought his staff down with full force, just barely colliding with Vader's lightsaber and he ended up behind him. He brought up another strike from the rear and managed to hit Vader in his shin, only to hear the sound of metal on metal. "Huh?" He audibly expressed confusion. The Dark Lord swung his lightsaber downward and to the right as he turned around. The boy rolled away and stood with his staff pointed at Vader. The Dark Lord held his lightsaber in front of him at waist level and pointed it towards his enemy. The sound of blaster fire followed by the screams of the Faunus hit both their ears. The outcome of this battle was clear, however, judging by the look on the boy's face, it was far from over.

Rushing towards him, the Sith saw that the boy had clasped his hands together and two golden versions of himself rushed forward, one punching Vader in the stomach, the other received his counterattack and simply vanished into nothing. The other disappeared as well and the physical form of his enemy swung widely, his staff striking his helmet. Vader held his left hand up and caught the next strike in the palm of his hand. Swinging with his lightsaber, the boy let go of his weapon and back flipped to avoid the strike. He crushed the metal barrels at the ends of the staff, rendering the firearms inoperable, and dropped it at his side. "Sun." Vader heard. He turned to see a large man with long hair and a finely trimmed beard that matched the thick patch of chest hair that was visible due to his large furry purple coat being open. Armour adorned the front, at his stomach area and a single pauldron on his left shoulder. It was not expressively thick armour, likely so he could move fast. Vader saw that his large hands were gripping two stormtroopers, held by their faces. They were either unconscious or dead. It did not matter to Vader, or the Faunus before him apparently as he dropped them without a second thought. "Go help Kali, she hurt her leg in the airship. I'll deal with this one." Vader's breathing had slowed, and he peered over his shoulder to see Sun run widely around him, saying "You got it, Ghira!" and he disappeared with a spear he recovered from the fallen White Fang members as he was going to help Kali. "Where are you from? I've never heard of the likes of you." Behind the large Faunus, he saw that the fire from the airship had spread and there was now a blazing orange flame. "Answer me." The beast bellowed. The fight would be over soon, so Vader obliged to the questioning. "I am the representative of the Galactic Empire. Soon enough, with the help of Salem, the planet will be ours. I have been sent to destroy all who stand in our way." Closely observing his face, Vader could see that his features matched Blake's; the yellow eyes and black hair matched that of his daughter.

"Never heard of the Galactic Empire."

"Nor I the White Fang until my coming to this planet." The Faunus was visibly confused.

"Hmph, you're an alien?" He asked. Vader held his lightsaber in front of him.

"I have already told you enough." The Faunus assumed a fighting stance. Vader heard a small chuckle escape from his throat, almost out of pity. "You wish to fight? Is it not obvious that you will lose?"

"I won't." Ghira said as he looked ready to pounce. But his gaze shifted upward.

Flipping down and landing beside Vader was Adam Taurus. He looked out of breath and angry. "Give up, Blake. You can't win against us!" Vader whipped around, "There is no _us_." He told him. Adam gulped. The Dark Lord turned back to the Belladonnas, "You would be wise to submit as your friends have." Blake questioned.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your friends Nora, Ren, and Jaune have laid down their weapons. Your former team members have… fallen apart." The girl's ears perked up and then flattened.

"What do you mean?"

"Yang is unconscious, and Weiss Schnee was killed by Ruby Rose."

"Wh-What?" She stepped forward. "Why would- Ruby wouldn't do that!" Vader gestured to the closed double doors.

"If you wish to see for yourself, then go inside. I will not stop you."

The girl shifted in place and looked to the doors, then to Vader, not knowing if she should even believe him. "Go." Her father said, looking at her in a gentle manner. His expression darkened as it turned back to the Dark Lord, "I can deal with them." Blake nodded and ran to the doors. Adam stepped in her direction, but Vader held out a hand in front of him. "No." The boy looked at Vader and nodded. He placed his hands on his sword, one on the sheathe, and the other on the handle. Ghira threw off his coat and showed his muscular build and let out a ferocious roar.

Vader and Adam drew their weapons. "Your move." The Dark Lord challenged. In a flash of speed, Ghira was in front of the Dark Lord. He had to admit, he was taken by surprise. A man of his build should not naturally be moving that fast. A trait of his animalistic nature, no doubt. Vader lunged backwards, only to still be in the reach of the large claw that struck him in his right arm, above the elbow. Adam fired his weapon and his sword came out, hitting Ghira in the left shoulder. He jumped forward and recovered it, bringing his sheathe, which seemed to be double as a shotgun, forward attempting to shoot him point blank in the face. Noticing this, Ghira twisted clockwise and kicked Adam in the face sending him into the tree behind him, knocking the wind out of him. Vader hit the ground but used the Force and the momentum to level himself once again, landing on his feet. Igniting his lightsaber again, both the blade and his enemy growled. The Dark Lord took a quickstep forward and swung from the left. Ghira avoided the strike by ducking down and blocked the following one with a shield from a fallen Faunus. Grinding his blade off the shield, Vader went right and twisted around clockwise for an attempt at Ghira's left side. Unfortunately for him, the blade collided with the shield again as the Faunus moved it slightly to his left.

Adam was back on his feet now and saw Vader in a heated contest of strength as sparks flew in all directions. The Sith was pushed off by his opponent but remained on his feet. With another grunt, the Faunus lunged forward, slamming into Vader and successfully knocking him to the floor. Ghira appeared above him, the shield held overhead. He thrusted it down, aimed at Vader's neck. Drawing his lightsaber and holding it in front of him, the Sith blocked the incoming attack vertically. Removing one hand from the hilt, he used the Force to pick up a nearby spear and thrust it into his back. With a painful roar his strength faded, and the shield flung off from the already applied force of Vader's defense. The spear apparently did not go as deep as Vader wanted as he was able to reach backwards and tear it out. A gunshot cut through the slight silence that befell the battleground. Looking to the source of the sound, Vader saw the smoking barrel of Adam's firearm. It was a shotgun, so the spread was too wide to do much damage. If anything, he may have gotten Ghira's attention. Which he had. Ghira turned to him and shifted into a stance but his attention was cut short as he heard a peculiar sound overhead. The sound was familiar to Vader, however.

Looking up in the sky, the cyborg saw TIE Fighters flying above the academy, followed by a Star Destroyer. Who authorized this? Vader looked back to see the two Faunus gazing in surprise. Adam smiled triumphantly. "See, Ghira? You can't beat us."

"As I have said before. There is _no_ us." Vader reminded, this time more anger in his voice.

Ghira looked around, as if trying to devise an escape plan. Suddenly, his gaze fell on the academy as he heard glass shatter. Past the trees, Vader could barely make out the shape of a person… carrying another person? When they made it out of the clearing, he saw an unconscious Yang Xiao Long, but the one holding her was still unseen. Ghira began running in the same direction they were headed and disappeared behind the trees with amazing speed. Vader was about to begin making his way over to them, but he heard footsteps approaching. He turned and saw that Blake was running towards him, ready to strike. The Dark Lord raised his lightsaber and dodged her strike and swiftly counterattacked. But then something happened that surprised him: She completely dissipated. Cursing himself he looked back to the trees and recalled her Semblance; Shadow Clones. He just caught a glimpse of the person carrying Yang and, indeed, it was Blake Belladonna. He turned to Adam and angrily ordered pointing in their direction, "Get after them!" Vader turned to the remaining stormtroopers and instructed, "Secure the building! No one else escapes."

In a flash of light, Sun came running out of another window with Jaune flung over one shoulder, the other pumping up and down as he ran. Two of the nearest troopers were sent away by two golden, holographic Suns. Vader approached the two boys who ran and prepared for a strike but was kicked in the face by another golden Sun. Tumbling backwards caught himself and reached out with the Force to grab him only to be shot in the right shoulder and then the left arm. He looked back to the two Huntsman and saw a barely conscious Jaune holding a green pistol with a blade on the bottom of the barrel. Lie Ren's weapon. Using anger to fuel him, Vader held his lightsaber to block the shots, but would not be able to catch up to them. Reaching out with the Force again, he was about to pull them when he noticed a ship approaching to his right. It was an Imperial shuttle.

As it landed, dust from the stones underneath were sent in a fray. The door opened and gas from the ship was dispersed, giving way to an already ominous presence. The surrounding and surviving stormtroopers had begun to surround the bottom of the ship, creating a line. He bowed, sheathing his lightsaber and placing his right hand on his chest, over his heart. Before he saw the Emperor, however, he saw his personal guard. Dressed in red from head to toe and holding staves that they were proficient in their use. Then a black robed man, slightly hunched over, stepped down from the ship, his sickly yellow eyes underneath his hood.

"My master." Darth Vader greeted.


	18. The Relic

**Chapter 17 – The Relic**

"Rise, my friend." The Emperor said, his voice with a jovial tone as he raised his hand. Getting to his feet, Vader walked alongside his Sith Master as they walked towards the Academy that had just begun to be touched by the planet's rising sun. The top of the building glowed with a brilliant orange light. "If I may ask, why did you come here personally? The stormtroopers and I had the situation under control. I will go after the ones who escaped."

"They do not interest us, Lord Vader. It is the Relic we are after, it will be ours." Palpatine said. Vader stopped.

"You intend to take the Relic for yourself?" He asked. The Emperor chuckled and clasped his hands together.

"Yes, once we have all of them, we will crush the Rebellion with ease." he said, raising his hands in the air. He put them back down. "However, the Rebellion is planning an attack and must be stopped. If we are to fulfill this mission, we must quell their feeble attempts to destroy us first and return." Vader fell silent but closed his eyes and reopened them after a brief pause.

The plan had changed. If it was his master, then he dare not question it.

"Very well. Are we to take the Relic now?" He said as the two walked towards the academy.

"Yes. Salem cannot take it and achieve the power they hold. For now, we will take this Relic and return later to take the rest of them for ourselves. She will save us the trouble of finding and opening the vaults and we will take them from her."

The two Sith walked inside the Academy and were met by Salem's forces and the beaten Huntsman. Uneasy faces looked at the Emperor; Even Vader was looked at with more familiarity. He stepped ahead of the Emperor and declared, "Bow before the Emperor!" His voice echoing through the foyer. Salem's followers simply shot looks between each other but ultimately did nothing. Vader took one step and inhaled to give another order only to be stopped by Palpatine's bony right hand. It slowly went back to rest in front of him once more. In his crackly voice, "I wish to see this Relic." Emerald spoke up, "It's below us."

"Very good." He said as he began walking and Vader moving alongside him.

The elevator ride was a long and strange one. The stone platform at their feet was not held aloft by anything, it was simply floating. As it touched down, the sound of stone on stone filled their ears and Palpatine walked forward. "Master wait." Vader warned. "I sense it as well." Palpatine said, now marginally more serious. Around them was a great amount of dust, likely from whatever happened here. There were marks on the floor, as well as fallen pieces of the stone ceiling. That much was obvious. However, what they were referring to would be the presence in the immediate area; It felt as if there was a clashing of great powers, but now they were gone. Only one was here. "I will investigate." Vader said.

Moving past the rubble and the dust, he found the corpse of Vernal and Raven Branwen standing in front of the door with her hand outstretched towards it. Cinder Fall was nowhere to be seen. "What happened here?" He called to the woman. She stood, her hand, falling back to her side. Slowly, she turned around, saying, "What do you want? The Relic?" She nearly spat. "Yes." Vader replied honestly. She placed her hand on her weapon as a strange reddish glow surrounded her eyes. "I won't let you take it. If it falls into Salem's hands, it's all over. The entire world would crumble!"

"I am not taking it to Salem." He said, calmly. His head tilted at her show of power. This was new but familiar. He deduced, "You are the true Spring Maiden." Her gaze went to the floor,

"Why should I believe you that you won't give it to Salem." She accused, ignoring his insight. Suddenly a shriveled voice rang out from behind Vader, answering her question.

"Because my interests transcend those of this planet and Salem's plans." Palpatine said as he seemingly floated beside Vader.

"Who are you?" She said, shaken by the new figure. Such a threatening and demonic presence he had. He was pure evil.

"Open the door and you walk free. You don't lose anything in that arrangement." Vader proposed.

The woman's eyes went to Vernal, to her blade, and then to the floor. A tear trickled down her face. She knew that giving it to the two beings in front of her meant terror on many people. She could _not_ fight them. Not alone. She turned and reached her hand out to the door. Without turning, she dropped her hand and nearly whispered, "Take it." And then turned into a bird and flew away, disappearing into the shadows.

Palpatine chuckled and approached the doors. "Allow me, Master." Vader said, cautiously. "My apprentice, you worry too much." The Emperor said as he moved through the doorway, which had a slight shimmer as he entered. He was surrounded by sand and he could see heatwaves in the distance. Despite all this, his gaze was fixed upon the lamp object floating above a stone. Reaching for it, he could feel the energy pulsing from it. Truly, this was a source of great power. He picked it up by the handle on the top of it and held his other hand over the sides. "Good…" He mused, his voice and cackling echoing throughout whatever plain he was in.

Vader watched as his master emerged from the portal, holding the golden lamp. "Our mission is complete, Master?" The Emperor turned his attention back to his apprentice and told him, "Far from over, Lord Vader. We will find the rest of these Relics and take them for ourselves. For now, we will take this one with us. If they are away from each other, then they cannot give their wielder power. When we return to the planet, we will take them for ourselves."

"I see… How did you come to know of their existence?"

"I have told you that the Dark Side of the Force is a pathway for the many abilities." He turned to face him. "At first the presence of what the denizens of this planet call 'Aura' drew me, but after focusing I sensed something far greater."

"The Relics."

"Yes." He looked back to the one in his hands. "It was then that Salem contacted me, through the Force… It was as if she established a connection between myself and her being." Vader exercised caution and looked around as if trying to spot her.

"If she is in you mind, then will she not know of our current plans?"

"No. She needs to be meditating and conscious of our connection." Vader's gaze went to the rubble as he crossed his arms.

"Interesting."

"Indeed. It is time we were going, Lord Vader."

Stepping onto the stone platform again, Vader and Palpatine were brought upward, giving them one more overview of the destroyed temple beneath as they disappeared into darkness.

Vader fell silent for a few moments, pondering how now they either had to kill Salem's underlings or trick them into leaving with the Relic. That led him to think about the future and the mission that accompanied it.

"How many Relics are there and what can they do?"

"There are four, and individually, I do not know what they can do. Salem did not share too much information with me about them." He said, caressing it.

"What if they are brought together?"

Sidious chuckled, and it turned into laughter, "That much she _did_ tell me." He looked at Vader, his sickly eyes meeting the dark ones. "Unimaginable power will be granted to the wielder!" Vader simply looked at his Master and felt a hint of relief; He was not the one being betrayed, but Salem. His hand went to his belt and he lifted the communicator to his face, "Prepare the ship for takeoff." The Dark Lord ordered as he began walking to the elevator.

Once they were up to the main level, Salem's underlings stared at the Sith as the platform rose above the floor and stopped one level up from them. In the Emperor's hand was the Relic, a light glow escaping from it. Emerald looked around, trying to see behind Sidious and Vader, "Where is Cinder?" She asked, worry in her voice. "Cinder Fall engaged Raven Branwen in single combat and lost. She is presumed dead until otherwise proven." The girl fell to her knees and looked completely shocked at the news. "H-how do you know?"

"Her body was not there. If she-" he was cut off by the girl. She was clearly distressed.

"Did Raven get the power? The power of the Fall Maiden."

"Not from what I could tell. In fact, she was the Spring Maiden."

"Did Raven use fire magic? Where is she?"

Vader recalled Cinder's eyes having a fiery glow around them when she utilized her the Maiden's power, along with this was the presence of a great power. "No. She did not. She opened the vault and fled." A ray of hope found it's way into her eyes.

"Then she's not dead!" She said with relief, but it was covered. As if she was trying to convincer herself more than anything.

"Do as you wish. My Master and I are going to deliver the Relic to Salem."

The cyborg looked to Ruby Rose. She was still huddled down at her former friend's corpse. The scythe-wielder got up and turned to face the two Sith Lords. Her eyes were still black as the night. He then turned his attention to the group of his beaten foes. Qrow, Nora, Ren were there. His gaze darted around the room. "Where is the farm boy?" He asked. Hazel gave him an answer, dust crystals at his sides. "He got away." Mercury also provided an answer. "They got into an airship somehow. Him, the blondie, that cat girl and her parents. And that stupid banana eating-chimp." None said anything after that, as Palpatine could not be worried about the squabbles of children. If it was not a problem for him, then Vader paid it no mind.

Vader and Palpatine began walking down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, a voice called out to them. "Lord Sidious." It was Salem's voice. It emanated from the small orb-like Grimm with the spiked tentacles hanging low and nearly touching the wooden stairs. There was blood dripping from them. Vader took notice, seeing that it trailed from Lionheart's office. Without a doubt, the coward was dead. "You have arrived and have the Relic." She said with delight. Sidious smiled, "Yes, I have." He said, quickly thinking of a way to get her to leave. "If you may send us your coordinates, we may go to your location and-" He was cut off by the Dark Goddess. "No matter. I will open a portal." Palpatine frowned and then smiled. "Very well." The Grimm went to the centre of the room and a black tar-like substance filled the globe and leaked onto the floor. It pooled and was given a red hue. Now, a portal formed in the centre of the room. This was bad. Vader and Palpatine had to find a way to get rid of the Grimm and ensure that they were not pursued on thee way to the ship. The Apprentice moved his cape out of the way, giving him access to his lightsaber.

Before Vader could move further into the room, Sidious pulled his arm, "Hold the Relic, would you Lord Vader? My old arms are getting very tired." He said, placing it in Vader's left hand. The two moved towards the portal but then Vader moved past it, "Lord Va-?" Salem asked as the Grimm was cut in two by him. "What are you doing?!" Hazel growled. Without giving an answer, Vader slashed at him and he rolled away. Then a purple glow and the accompanying crackling of electricity filled the room. As Palpatine lurched forward, it shot out of his fingertips and hit Mercury and Emerald. They screamed in pain and fell to the floor, the girl dropping her weapons. The lightning then arced towards Hazel who was not affected and simply glared at Palpatine. "Oh, how wonderful."

"That Relic is coming with us!" He bellowed in rage, pulling out more crystals from his coat.

"You are quite optimistic for someone whose odds are slowly diminishing." The Emperor warned with a chuckle. His gaze went to the front door. There stood two stormtroopers shooting at Hazel. Three more came into view behind them, but they were donning armour different from standard issue troops. They wore black, lighter armour with red accents, matching the emblem on the shoulders – a circle with three lines pointing diagonally down and to the right, the centre one was longest, leaving the other two relatively short. The eyes of the helmet were glazed over with a red tint. The soldier in front was wearing a red patch on her arm that acted as rank distinction on the battlefield. It was the Inferno Squad.

Seeing that they were outnumbered and out-gunned, Salem's underlings were throwing their weapons down and got to their knees. It was then that Vader remembered Ruby Rose. He turned around and saw her in the air with her weapon aimed at his Master. The Sith Apprentice pulled her to the ground and she landed with expertise, now looking at Vader. The two fought, but Vader was only using one hand as the other was holding the Relic. He began to back towards the door. Despite the cover fire of the Inferno Squad and the other troopers, Ruby Rose still laid down heavy blows on Vader. One strike came from overhead, and then from the left. Strike after strike, she was hurling the scythe with so much force that he was having trouble keeping up. His breathing quickened and now he was close to the door. She went for another overhead strike and this time Vader dodged, making her strike the floor, cracking it and digging it deep. Finally, an opening. He closed his lightsaber and pushed with two fingers, sending her across the room. Without even turning to look at the rest of the room, Vader turned on his heel and ran as fast as he could to the door.

Now outside, they shut the doors and Vader ordered the stormtroopers. "Stay behind and block the entrance." And then turned to the special forces. "Inferno Squad, in the ship." He said as they all moved towards the ship. They could hear the many weapons being fired at the door. It would not hold forever. Soon enough, they were in the air and flying away, just Salem's underlings had emerged from the door, splitting it in two. The first to step through was Hazel who looked into the sky and saw that they were well on their way. Tyrian jumped onto the trooper to the right and began hacking away at him. Tyrian's screams of rage and the trooper's blood filled the air. He directed his attention to the other who was now shooting at him, missing horribly. He leapt and ended his life by plunging the blades into his chest and throat.

The Relic was lost to them.

The two Sith and the squad were standing in the ship and Vader could sense a slight happiness in his Master. Vader then heard. The clunking of equipment and both he and Palpatine looked to see the Inferno Squad down on one knee, bowing to both of them. "Emperor, it is an honour to be in your presence." He waved his hand. "There is no need for such formalities, Commander. You may rise." Vader looked over the group. He could tell that they were well-disciplined in all they did. From the way they bowed down to even the way they held their weapons. The black armoured man congratulated, "You fought well and protected you Emperor. Your reputation does not mislead, Inferno Squad."

"Thank you, Lord Vader." The Commander said in a disciplined female voice.

She turned to the other, who was holding a sniper rifle. "Del, set the Corvus to auto-pilot and send it to the Star Destroyer."

"Yes, Commander." He said as he pulled out a panel and a hologram of a sleek ship appeared. He hit a few buttons and the hologram disappeared, replaced with text that read 'Auto-pilot engaged.'

Vader simply stood in the centre of the ship, next to his Master, and looked out on the never-ending sea of stars and ships. The Empire was now leaving, going back to the second Death Star to crush the Rebellion once and for all.

Soon the Rebellion would be a distant memory and his son would be at his side.

 **END of Act 1**

* * *

 **Wow! A lot of positive reviews! I'm glad you guys are liking it and the positivity from you all warms me.**

 **Despite this, I'm afraid this story will have to be put on the back burner for now. Until Volume 6 gets published by** _ **Roosterteeth**_ **, there is not much I can do in the way of the next Relics - We know where they are, but we don't know who is guarding them for Ozpin (that is, headmasters) or which Relic is in which academy. Perhaps I can just make things up as I go? To be honest, that wouldn't sit with me comfortably.**

 **The way this is going, I can have things happen in one of two ways:**

 **Empire return and take the Relics by force, essentially being a third addition to the war between Salem's forces and Ozpin's**

 **Or**

 **...Something else. Something different. I won't go into details. If this does happen I want it to be a surprise.**

 **Either path this story takes, I will enjoy writing.**

 **Path 1 offers more of the Empire's presence. Vader is sent back to Remnant with the whole of the Empire behind him – perhaps a few bounty hunters, as well as the utilizing of the Inferno Squad more.**

 **Path 2 is a surprise. I am not going to reveal too much information about it.**

 **Who knows? Maybe I'll write both...**

 **Stay tuned I have more planned for Vader in a mini series coming up. (It's for fun)**

* * *

 **Okay, people.**

 **I'm going to keep the above end notes there, so as to keep you guys informed. The Path 1 I referred to will happen and will be considered Act 2.** **I have decided just to make up the story as I go. The headmasters placed by Ozpin, the Huntsmen guarding the Relics, the descriptions of the Relics themselves. I'm going to have to make all of that stuff up.**

 **Path 2 will happen just at a later date. (I'm excited about that one).**

 **The Vader mini series is coming!**


	19. Vader CHIBI: Don't Try It

**You've read my story. It was relatively dark and Grimm (haha), but now enjoy the fun and exciting adventure of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, as he joins Cinder and her allies at Beacon academy.**

 **I'll be throwing him into the mix of a bunch of CHIBI episodes, but also making somethings up on my own.**

Disclaimer: _(If a citation is requested, I can provide one. Also, the episodes that I do take from I will credit. I do not own the episodes which I reference.)_

 **If there is anything you would like to see, I am open to suggestions! Just leave a review/comment thingy or just send a private message to me. :D I hope this will be as fun for you as it is for me thinking it up!**

 **Just an FYI, there will be Star Wars memes in this. As a wise man once said: _'_ _This is where the fun begins!'_**

* * *

 **Episode 1: Don't Try it**

Ruby Rose stood atop a chair in the centre of their dorm room. Yang stepped through and was told "Wait!" Blake and Weiss, who had already used a glyph to get across, murmured. "The floor is lava", without removing their gazes from their books and scroll. "Oh, no foolin'."

"Yes, dear sister, you must master the skill of parkour, speed, and-" Yang was propelled forward and landed on the bed and turned her attention to a mobile game on her scroll.

"You guys are the worst." Was all Ruby said.

Then, Roman Torchwick kicked open the door with the intent to kill. As he stood in front of his nemesis, Ruby Rose, he readied a strike. "Time to meet your makers, Huntresses!" and let out a maniacal laugh. "Wait!" Rose' small voice rang out. Yang, Weiss, and Blake, uninterestingly murmured "The floor is lava."

"Huh?" Torchwick said.

"Roman Torchwick! I know we've had our differences, but please hear me out! The moment you set foot on the floor, you'll be burned alive!"

"I'm not falling for that trick!"

"NO!" Vader's voice echoed through the room as well as the hall. He grabbed Torchwick by the shoulders and slowly walked backwards with him. He looked to the ground and then to Ruby, then to her allies. "Impressive, Huntress. I see your strategies have become quite fool proof." He said.

"What do you mean?" Torchwick asked.

"They have ensured their safety by surrounding themselves by lava and secured an advantageous position." The Dark Lord said, pointing.

"Uh huh…" He said. "Does this… strategy have a name?"

Vader pulled him close and whispered in his ear. Something he had been avoiding. Something he felt so much pain and anguish because of. The very being of his soul. It was a strategy most cruel. It was none other than… "The _high ground_."

Torchwick gasped and looked back into where he was about to jump and began backing away slowly. Vader as well. "Y-you win this time, Red!" and sped off, a gangster-shaped cloud where he was. The cyborg back away as well. "Shameful…" he said. "Shameful." And walked off.

* * *

 **Hope you guys liked this, I am making these as a sort of intermission between acts. It's just a quick little thing I made up on the fly. Let me know if you guys want to input any of your own ideas into this series... It's for fun! Also, if I use ideas from you, you will be credited if you have a username. If the site shows you as 'guest,' then you will be referred to as such - that is, unless you want an alias or a fake name to use when doing so, if that's the case, then please specify.**

 **Let me know if you guys want more.**


	20. Vader CHIBI Episode 2

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long but I figured I should upload something to let you know that I am not dead.**

 **I just wanted to let those who favourited this story that their support is greatly appreciated and that Act 2 is now up!**

 **See you over there!**

* * *

 **Episode 2: Costume Party**

The four evil beings at Beacon Academy all were getting dressed for the costume party. Their goal was to sabotage the party and ultimately ruin the moods of everybody there. The best part was that everyone would be in a costume and no one would know who did what. Fortunate enough for the team, Vader was in charge of the costumes. Emerald wore a brown robe over what seemed to be a uniform of some kind, white-cream in colour. It was all together and wrapped intricately over the body. A single brown belt sat on her waist, as well as the metal bar on it. "What am I supposed to be again?"

"A Jedi." Vader assured.

"And why Is that?" She said, holding up the baggy sleeve draped over her left hand and held it open with her right.

"Your Semblance!"

"Uh huh…" She said, still not understanding.

He sighed. "You make illusions, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Jedi are known to use a power called 'Jedi Mind Trick.' It allows them to briefly make anyone subject to their will temporarily."

"Alright, whatever." She said, barely listening.

"Good! Now say 'You don't want to sell me deathsticks.'" Apparently, his comment fell on deaf ears as she walked away.

Next was Mercury. He wore a strange costume. It was jet black robes over his clothes, slightly resembling Emerald's costume only the bottom half was removed to show his metal legs. Most of his time was spent putting over the face-paint, which was mostly red, but had black tribal markings on his face. "Is this really necessary?" He asked as he applied the last touches to it.

"Of course. You need to be unrecognizable!"

The boy stood up and revealed his whole costume. His metal legs were fully exposed and in full view for all to see. "How is this supposed to be covert again?"

"Don't worry. Now hold this!" Vader said, handing him a broken mop with a red handle. "Now twirl it." Mercury dropped the mop handle and waited by the door with Emerald.

Cinder wore a black robe, covering all her body but leaving her face exposed. Her 'face' was a white mask of a wrinkly old man. "Stay hunched over." Vader said, pushing her head down. With a grunt, Cinder's head was pushed downward and stayed there. "What… am I supposed to be?" She said, suppressing her anger. Vader looked at her face. "You… have yellow eyes. Just like my Master!" His hand went behind his cape and he pulled out a taser gun and slammed it into her hand. "There we go! Force Lightning." Cinder was visibly confused. "Who am I supposed to be?!" She finally asked, her eyes flaring and filled with rage. "My Master." Vader said with seriousness. He

"Now we are ready!" He said as he approached the door, but it was opened by someone else wearing a costume. Vader assumed that all the party members present were the ones attending the mission. "Who are you?" Vader asked. He looked him up and down. His costume consisted of black robes that flowed down to his calves, meeting the black boots that sat on his feet. His upper body was all covered except for his face. In black. A helmet was held under his right arm with a chrome finish around the visor. "What are you supposed to be, Cardin?" Cinder asked unenthusiastically. Vader's ever-audible breathing came to a halt as he gasped.

"Are you… _me?_ " Vader asked, bewildered and unamused as he looked at the black robes.

"Nope." Cardin said with a smile.

"What are you then?" Cardin threw his arms in the air and told them,

"Dude, I'm Kylo Ren! Your gra-" Vader stopped him. He felt the Force shift.

"Do not say another word."

"Aw why not?"

"Just…" He began walking out the door, "don't..."

He did not know who the boy was trying to be, but Vader got the feeling that… it was somehow connected to him. Smaller… but still connected.


End file.
